Finding What's Real
by JuliaB
Summary: Gibbs finds out about Tony and Kate’s relationship and moves Kate to another team. Now, with the case of a serial killer coming up they have to find out if what they have is strong enough to face the reality of their job.[Sequel to 'Misunderstandings']
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Finding What's Real

**Summary: **Kate and Tony have been a couple for more than a month, but they haven't told Gibbs yet. When he finds out about their relationship he immediately moves one of them to another team. Still, neither of them is willing to give up on their relationship easily, but they have to find out if what they have is strong enough to face the reality of their job.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Navy CIS

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Tony wandered through his apartment restlessly. Every thirty seconds he looked at his watch, but it didn't help. It was still half an hour until she'd come. He went into the kitchen and drank a glass of water. Normally he would have opted for beer because spending the evening – and hopefully the night – with a woman usually included some drinking. But during the past weeks he had found out a strange detail about himself: for Kate he wanted to be sober.

One look at the watch: 25 minutes to go.

He walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. After some seconds he leaned forward and began to drum a simple rhythm on the coffee table in front of him. He was definitely nervous. But why? It wasn't like it was their first date. He couldn't even pretend he hadn't seen her in a long time. Hell, he had seen her an hour ago when they'd left the office. And before that he had spent the whole day looking at her. They didn't have a new case so they had stayed at the office and she had been sitting right in front of him for more than eight hours. And before that they had had breakfast together at her place – because that's where he had spent the last night. And the night before that she had been to his place. They had spent almost every night together for the past month, since the day when they'd finally given in to their feelings for each other – except the nights when Gibbs made them stay at the office until past midnight and they both decided that they needed some sleep, which usually they didn't get when they were together. So they had been together for a month, but now, still, he couldn't wait until she'd finally knock on his door.

With one final look on his watch, Tony leaned back and sighed. Seeing a girl so often – and actually wanting to see her so often – was not what he usually did. Normally he would meet a girl once to find out if she was nice, which in the DiNozzo dictionary was a synonym for "well built and uncomplicated". If she was nice he would meet her a second and perhaps a third time. Never a fourth time because meeting a girl four times without having any serious intentions was bound to cause problems. But Kate … He couldn't seem to see her often enough. When he wasn't with her he didn't know what to do with himself. Then he sat at home and stared into space or zapped through the channels, all the time wanting to have her there with him to be able to touch her, talk to her, kiss her. It was like an addiction and, to be honest, it scared the hell out of him. Not only because he had lost all of his independence within one month, but also because he didn't know what he would do if he messed things up and lost her now. Of course he wouldn't deliberately put their relationship in danger, but seeing that he had no experience at all when it came to serious relationships, and knowing himself – which he did – he knew he was just bound to do something stupid that would make her go away. And then he would be lost.

But these thoughts only came to him when he was alone at home and his apartment suddenly seemed to be twice its usual size so that he had no idea how he could ever fill out all the empty space. He never had any worries when she was there with him. Then things were just perfect. He would have never imagined that a relationship, a real relationship that included words like dedication, commitment, longing and love, even though he hardly dared to think let alone say that word yet – that such a relationship could make him feel so content with his whole life. It was like dreaming except that after a very pleasant dream you often wake up feeling disappointed with reality. But Kate was real. He could close his eyes and fall asleep and when he woke up she was still there, even more beautiful than in his dreams.

Tony jumped when he heard the knock on his door. A look on his watch confirmed it: it was eight o'clock. He had been so deep in thought that time had finally passed quickly. Within seconds he was at his door and opened it. The smile on Kate's face that greeted him made all the waiting worth it. Tony smiled back. "Good evening, Miss Todd", he said politely and gestured her in with a half bow.

Kate let out a soft laugh as she walked past him. "Such a gentleman", she said, shaking her head.

But her judgment had come too early for as soon as Tony had closed the door behind her, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him, turning so that she was suddenly standing with her back to the door and Tony pressing her against the hard wood with his body.

Kate didn't even have the time to feign shock because his lips were on hers before she could utter the tiniest sound of protest. And when his tongue slid past her lips she even forgot that there was such a thing as protest and just kissed him back. His hands slid down to the back of her thighs and lifted her up effortlessly so that she would wrap her legs around his hips. The skirt she was wearing got in the way, but Tony solved the problem by slowly sliding his hands under its hem and pushing the garment farther up her legs. She moaned into his mouth when he shifted to make the new position more comfortable for both of them.

Then his lips left hers and he pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin under her left ear. "What took you so long?" he whispered over her skin.

"I couldn't decide what to wear", she admitted.

Tony chuckled. "You definitely made a good choice", he said, stroking the now exposed skin of her thighs. "But quite unnecessary all the same considering that I usually manage to get you out of your clothes within half an hour."

"Is this your way of telling me that you need a greater challenge?" she teased.

"No. This is my way of telling you not to put so many clothes on", he quipped. His hands found their way to her back and under the hem of her shirt. "But on the other hand …", he began thoughtfully, then suddenly pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. " … I also quite enjoy the process of getting you out of them." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, which made her roll her eyes, but she couldn't hold back the amused laugh.

Tony bent his had and placed a series of kisses along her collarbone, then rested his cheek on the side of her neck for a moment to inhale the scent of her perfume that was mixed with that of her skin. There was nothing in the world that could possibly smell better than this woman.

When he didn't move, Kate lifted her hands to his head and slowly stroked his hair. "Are you alright?" she asked, feeling amused and touched at the same time.

Tony looked up into her eyes, then pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Of course I am", he whispered before he carefully let her slide down until she stood on her own feet again.

"So … shall we order something to eat?" he asked after having taken a deep breath to clear his mind. They had agreed earlier that they'd eat at Tony's place. "What would you like for dinner? Chinese, Italian … or something more exotic?"

"We'll eat later", she said and kissed him before taking his hand and leading him through the living room in the direction of his bedroom.

---

In the morning they had breakfast together and made plans for the weekend. Last Sunday they had taken Tony's car to go to the beach where they had spent a wonderful day, swimming and dozing in the sun. Today was Friday, so if they didn't get a new case, the whole weekend would be entirely theirs.

"We could go hiking", Kate suggested. "Maybe book a small cabin and stay there overnight."

"I like that cabin idea", Tony mused. "But hiking sounds quite exhausting to me."

"It's not. It helps you relax and it takes your mind off work."

"Hm…" Tony didn't look completely convinced, so Kate stood up and came around the table to sit on his lap. She snaked her arms around his neck and touched the tip of her nose to his.

"It would be only you and me, alone, in the mountains", she said softly. "A small, romantic cabin in the middle of nowhere, a log fire, wine …" She pressed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth and felt his arms move around her waist. "What do you say?" she whispered.

"I say yes", Tony answered and captured her lips in a serious kiss that left her breathless and him grinning wickedly at her.

"What?" she laughed.

"Nuh, nothing." He kissed the underside of her jaw and she snuggled closer to him. "But I think when we spend the evening the way you just described it, there's no way we'll leave bed the next day to go hiking."

Kate chuckled and kissed him again before she stood and returned to her chair where she finished the coffee and folded the paper she had been reading before. "I think I'll go now", she said. "See you at the office then."

He nodded and accepted the kiss she dropped on his lips before she left the kitchen. They still went to work separately even though they spent almost every night together. They hadn't yet told anyone about their relationship and since Abby had kept her promise not to tell anyone either, the office was still unaware of the change in their relationship. They'd have to tell them, of course, but not yet. When they would finally confront Gibbs they wanted to be able to tell him that their private life hadn't interfered with their work in the least, but to prove that they had to be together for more than a month. At least three, they had agreed.

When Tony arrived at the office he greeted Kate as if he hadn't seen her since yesterday, made a teasing comment about McGee's new haircut and wished Gibbs a good morning.

They started work where they had left it yesterday, all of them hoping for a peaceful weekend away from the office. But having no new cases also had its disadvantages, for example the fact that Tony soon became deadly bored. When Gibbs was called up into MTAC early in the afternoon to answer a phone call, Tony started to tease McGee until the younger agent was so annoyed that he left the office to go and see Abby.

Kate shot Tony an annoyed glare. "Why do you always have to do this?" she sighed. "Can't you leave him alone for one day?"

"Sorry, but I can't do anything about it. It's like an obsession." Tony shrugged and Kate rolled her eyes.

Five minutes later she left her table to get a cup of coffee from the break room and Tony followed her immediately. Kate knew that he was coming and was leaning against the counter, facing the door to wait for him. Tony smiled when he saw her and closed the door behind him. He poured himself a cup of coffee and accepted the milk Kate handed him, but not without stroking her fingers with his when he took it from her. He brushed past her to put the package back into the fridge and when he turned around again he found her standing directly in front of him, smiling innocently.

"I found a nice little cabin on the internet about half an hour ago", he said and moved towards her so that she was caught between his body and the counter. "You want me to book it?" Putting one index finger under her chin he lifted her face up and bent down until their lips were only inches apart. Kate grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to press a soft kiss on his lips.

"Yes", she whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck when he kissed her again.

They heard the door open, but too late. They jumped apart and stared at the person who had just entered. Gibbs. And judging by the look of growing anger on his face he had seen them. And he didn't approve.

"You two", he said, pointing one finger at them. "Interrogation room, now!" With that he turned on his heel and left the break room without looking back.

Tony and Kate shared a shocked look. "Oh no", Kate whispered. She reached for Tony's hand and he gently squeezed it before kissing her forehead.

"Come on", he said with a determined tone in his voice. "Let's not keep him waiting."

Gibbs sat at the interrogation room table. When they came in he made Tony sit down on one, Kate on the other side of him so that the two of them were facing each other and not sitting side by side.

"Boss, let me explain", Tony started, but Gibbs interrupted him immediately by slamming a fist on the table.

"Dammit, DiNozzo, just shut up, will you?"

Tony swallowed with some difficulty. Gibbs was really furious.

"How long is this thing between you already going on?" their boss asked.

Tony looked over at Kate, but Gibbs immediately hit the table with his fist again. "Don't look at her, look at me!" he ordered.

"A little over a month", Tony answered, looking Gibbs in the eyes.

"Did anyone know about it?" Gibbs asked.

"No", Kate answered. "We kept it to ourselves." She wanted to keep Abby out of this disaster.

"And when did you want to share your little secret?"

Great, now he's turning sarcastic, Tony thought. He hated it when Gibbs was being sarcastic! "We wanted to be sure what this thing between us is before we tell anyone", Tony said, still sticking to the truth.

"That's right", Kate said. "We didn't want to tell anyone immediately in case we'd find out that this thing isn't working."

"And have you?"

"What?" Kate and Tony asked simultaneously, not understanding what Gibbs' question meant.

"Have you found out?" he asked. "Whether your nightly escapades are worth all the trouble you got yourselves in?"

"Don't call it that", Tony protested, but Gibbs silenced him with one single look.

"I'll call it whatever I want to call it", he snapped. Then he was silent for some seconds, looking from Tony to Kate and back to Tony. "Haven't I made myself clear when Kate started to work here?" he asked. "I thought I remembered having talked to you about relationships between agents and the fact that THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED ON MY TEAM!"

Kate and Tony both jumped when Gibbs suddenly started to shout at them. They looked at each other and this time Gibbs gave them some time to silently communicate with each other.

They hadn't expected him to react like that. Of course they knew his rule 12 and that they had broken it, but they hadn't been prepared for such an outburst. They weren't children after all.

"Gibbs", Tony dared to try one more time. "I know that we broke your rule, but we are serious here. We are not playing around with each other and I can guarantee you that it won't affect our work."

"You want me to believe you, DiNozzo? After four weeks of playing hide and seek with me you want me to believe that you can act like adults about this?"

"What do you want us to do now?" Kate asked, before Tony could continue digging his own grave.

Again, Gibbs let his gaze wander over the two agents sitting in front of him, before he spoke: "There are two possibilities – even three to be precise. One: You end your relationship here and now. Two: One of you will be moved to another team on NCIS. Three: If you are incapable of choosing either possibility, both of you will resign from NCIS." He was silent then and only continued to stare them down.

Kate and Tony exchanged a long look. Both of them were terribly afraid that the other would choose Gibbs' first possibility. But then they read in each other's eyes that this wasn't an option, for neither of them.

"We won't give up on each other", Tony said, holding Gibbs' look. "It took us a long way to get here and it won't end like this."

"Who will leave the team, then?" Gibbs asked coolly.

"I will", Kate said before Tony had a chance to speak. "Tony has been on the team longer, it's just fair that I have to leave."

"Well then", Gibbs said and stood. "I will arrange your transfer to another team. You can go home now, Kate. Your new assignment will start on Monday." With that he left.

Kate stepped around the table and stood next to Tony who turned towards her on his chair and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry", he sighed and buried his face in her chest.

Kate stroked his hair lovingly and put one arm around his shoulders. "Don't be. Seriously, it's okay. I mean, of course, Gibb's team is the best, but this is NCIS, the other teams are also good in their job. And I think that the transfer will be easier for me than it would be for you."

Tony lifted his head and looked at her. "Why do you think that?"

"Seriously? It took Gibbs years to come to terms with your behavior on the job. No other team leader would keep you longer than a week."

When Tony suddenly wrapped his arms tighter around her and stood up quickly so that he lifted her from her feet, Kate let out a surprised laugh and held on to his shoulders more tightly. Tony spun her around two, three times, then he stopped and kissed her, before whispering into her ear: "You're such a naughty young lady, Miss Todd. You are lucky that I happen to really like that about you."

Gibbs was watching the banter of his agents from the observation room. Tony and Kate, it had just been a matter of time. He had thought about what he would do when it finally happened and now he had confronted them with the consequences of their decision. They might think that he overreacted, but he knew that it was necessary. One day, they'd understand.

tbc …


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

At home Kate changed into one of Tony's sweaters which she had worn ever since he forgot it at her place in the first week of their relationship. She loved the way she felt all wrapped up in Tony when she wore it.

She didn't know whether to feel sad about the recent course of actions. She was no longer a member of Gibbs' team, the team she'd worked with over the past two and a half years. But being transferred into another team didn't mean she wouldn't see McGee or Abby ever again. They would still meet at work, after all she was still working in the same building. And they were friends, they could meet outside the office as well. As far as Gibbs was concerned … after today she was not sure if she wanted to see him again. To put a long story short, Kate was not the type of character who worried about things before they'd even happened. She would just accept her new assignment and see which changes it would bring.

But there was at least one change she had to face right away. She had an afternoon off and Tony didn't, which hadn't occurred once since they were together. Not quite sure what to do with her forced vacation she finally decided to go for a run, then do some grocery shopping and cook for Tony, which she had planned on doing for weeks, but had never had the time to.

Around six o'clock – she was in the middle of preparing the meat – her cell phone rang and she saw Tony's name on the display.

"Hi!" she answered quite cheerily. "You'll never guess what I'm doing right now. When are you coming home?"

"That's why I'm calling … it's …"

"Tony, why are you whispering?"

"Because Gibbs mustn't find out that I'm making a private phone call. He's just sent me to the truck to get something."

"The truck? Are you in the field?"

"Yes. A call came in about an hour ago and we left immediately. I'm sorry, Kate, I won't make it home. I'm sure, Gibbs will have us stay all night."

"Oh", was all she could force past her lips when disappointment rushed over her in a forceful wave. It wasn't about the meal she wanted to prepare, but about the weekend off they had planned.

"I'm sorry", Tony repeated. "I'll try and come by tomorrow, okay? In the evening? I'll call you."

"Sure." She sighed once, then decided to pull herself together. "It's not your fault", she told him. "I'm sorry you have to work. Just call me tomorrow when you have some free time."

"Okay, I have to go now. Gibbs is already shouting for me. Bye."

When Kate had hung up she left the food and sat down at the kitchen table. She had been really looking forward to their weekend together and they had come so close to making it real. Damn criminals, why did they always have to commit crimes at the least convenient times?

---

Tony ended the phone call and quickly climbed into the truck to get the notepads he had forgotten. When he got back to the front door of the apartment building they had been called to, Gibbs was already impatiently waiting for him. Sam Garrett, the young man who had called the police two hours ago, was looking anxiously at him.

They had been called to Norfolk, where a young navy lieutenant called Adriana Reynes had not shown up to work this morning. Later that day she had been reported missing by her boyfriend who had entered her apartment in the afternoon and had found signs of a fight. Now they were in Norfolk, where Lieutenant Reynes lived, to investigate the case.

Tony climbed up the stairs to the second floor apartment where McGee had already checked the front door for signs of a forced entry.

"Nothing", McGee said, answering to Gibbs' questioning look. "The lock's intact."

Gibbs turned to Sam Garrett, who seemed to be near a nervous breakdown. "Who has a key to this apartment?" he asked.

"Adriana, I … and her brother, Gary."

"Where is Gary now?"

"He should be here soon. I called him when I couldn't find Adri. He was as shocked as I am."

Tony felt pity for the poor guy. Sam Garrett had been out of town until this afternoon, they had already confirmed that, so he was not a suspect. But even if he didn't have an alibi, Tony wouldn't have believed he was a suspect. The pain this man felt was real.

Now he led the NCIS team through the apartment. In the living room he stopped to show them a recent photo of him and his girlfriend. Tony looked at the smiling face of the young blond woman. Her boyfriend had wrapped both arms around her shoulders from behind her and was resting his chin on her shoulder, looking at her fondly. The photo reminded Tony that he had planned on taking some pictures of Kate and him for ages. He didn't own a single one that was really good.

After one short glance in every room, Gibbs looked at his wrist watch, then gave directions: "McGee, I want you to run this apartment. The whole program. I've already arranged for another agent to be transferred to our team. She'll be here within the hour and join you."

McGee only nodded and got started.

Gibbs turned to Tony: "You'll accompany me to Norfolk naval base. Lieutenant Reynes was working in an office there and I've asked her senior officer to keep her colleagues there until we arrive."

Tony checked his watch too. It was already past 6:30. This was going to be a long evening for the staff of the office – and for him, too.

James Sandler, the captain who ran the office Lieutenant Reynes had been – or hopefully: was still – working in, was already awaiting them. He led them through the large room with separated work stations where the staff was still sitting and obviously waiting for something to happen. They entered the captain's small office and sat down in front of the wooden desk.

"Captain Sandler, thank you for your cooperation", Gibbs said. "We are going to make this as quick as possible. We have to talk to all members of your staff to find out who was the last one to have seen the missing lieutenant. Do you know if any of your officers had contact with Lieutenant Reynes outside the office?"

"No, I don't know, I'm sorry. But I have already talked to all members of my staff and made sure that they are going to cooperate with you."

"Thank you", Gibbs said. "May I ask what your personal opinion on Lieutenant Reynes is?"

"She is a very reliable person, always punctual, always doing her work thoroughly."

"And her personality?" Tony added.

"My impression is that she is a very kind person. Friendly towards others. I believe that everybody in the office liked her."

Gibbs turned towards Tony. "Go and start questioning the colleagues. I'll join you as soon as I have finished here."

Nodding, Tony got up and left the office. When he closed the door behind him, a dozen faces turned towards him. He sighed. This was going to be a very long evening.

---

As promised, Tony called Kate the next day during lunch break and explained some facts about their recent case which sounded like a lot of work, loads of people to question and many files to go through. Since the horrendous work load was too much for the team that was one member short, Gibbs had arranged the transfer of a female agent called Susannah Cole from another team.

"Actually it seems like the two of you are trading places", Tony explained on the phone. "Gibbs spoke to the director and she agreed to the transfer. Agent Cole is now on our team and you are going to join hers – but not before Monday because they don't have a hot case right now."

"Who's my new team leader?"

"Agent Miriam Santo."

"Oh, right." Agent Santo was one of the few female team leaders on NCIS. Kate had met her once or twice apart from the usual greetings exchanged in the entrance hall or the elevators. She was a woman in her late forties, always very neatly put together and famous for her liking of strict rules. Since Kate was used to strict guidelines from her time with the Secret Service, she was sure that she would work well with her new team leader.

"So …", she started after a short pause. "You have to work late tonight?"

"I don't know. But it's very likely. Gibbs seems to want to punish me by trying to keep me away from you. Every time I make a phone call he's eyeing me suspiciously to make sure it's not you I call."

"But that's no different to what he was before. I mean, you always used to get many private phone calls and he always hated it."

"Yeah, but that was different, they were just some girls I used to know. You are …"

"Well?" Kate asked amusedly. She found it touching that Tony obviously hadn't made the mental connection between his past girlfriends of the week and his new relationship with Kate.

"Oh … right", Tony murmured, finally getting Gibbs' point. "But I still think it's ridiculous. Anyway what are you up to? I was planning on dropping by during my lunch break, but Gibbs only gave me half an hour so that's not an option."

"I've been busy with some things I've been wanting to do for ages, you know, now that I have the time …" She had sorted out old magazines and had cleaned the bathroom, but there was no way she was going to tell him that.

"Well then enjoy yourself. I'm going to head back to the office now. And I'll try to get out at a decent time tonight, but I can't promise it."

Kate wanted to tell him that she wouldn't mind if he woke her up at two in the morning, but that would just sound too pathetic, so she wished him luck for the case and said goodbye.

He didn't make it. He called at eight o'clock to tell her that Gibbs wouldn't let him go and that he didn't think he would get out of the office before midnight. He would also have to work on Sunday. So Kate spent another evening on the couch, watching an old movie on TV, all the time thinking about how much she would love to hear Tony's annoying explanations about all the other movie roles each of the main actors had had in their lives and a detailed analysis of the underlying motives of the director.

When she lay in bed later, a thought occurred to her: these last two evenings were the first in a month that she had spent like at the time before she and Tony had started seeing each other. Because when they hadn't spent the evening at one of their places together they normally had been at the office working late – together. It was strange. Kate would never have referred to herself as the clingy type, actually she had always thought that she was someone who needed a lot of personal space. But during the past month she hadn't really thought about how much time she really spent with Tony – maybe because working Tony and boyfriend Tony were in some way still separated in her head. But really, she hadn't minded seeing him every day. But maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that they were in separate teams now. Of course it would limit the time they had together, but it would also feel more like a normal relationship, one in which you had separate work lives and a common private life. Sure it would take some time to adjust to the new circumstances, but maybe they'd come to value each other's presence more – if that was even possible, Kate added dreamily while already dozing off to sleep.

On Sunday she went for a walk in the park, alone, and she hated it, so she was back home before 11:00 a.m. She thought about cooking, but didn't feel like it so she went to a near restaurant and ate a salad.

Later that day she was at home and cleaned the sink in the kitchen, when somebody knocked on her door. She took off the gloves she had been wearing and went to answer the door. When she turned the knob and pulled the door open, she had the breath knocked out of her by two strong arms that wrapped around her tightly and easily lifted her off her feet. She threw her arms around Tony's neck to steady herself and looked down into his sparkling blue eyes. A broad smile showed on his face and she knew it was reflected on her features. She captured his lips in a longing, passionate kiss that made heat rush through her body in waves. God, she had missed him!

When she finally stood on her own feet again she reached up to cup his cheek with one hand. The softness in his gaze made her heart ache and she made a small step forward to be closer to him. She thought about saying something, express how glad she was he was there, or tease him a little because he had had to work, but no words came past her lips. Sighing deeply she buried her face in the crook of his neck and snaked her arms around his back. He held her tight, swaying softly to the rhythm of a song only they could hear, all the while stroking her hair lovingly.

"I was hoping you'd be home", he whispered into her ear. "I wanted to surprise you."

"You did." She lifted her head and smiled at him. "It's only 4 p.m. Why did Gibbs let you go? Has he finally developed some sense of pity?"

"I guess it was more the fact that all the leads we got are better to follow up on a weekday. I could see in Gibbs' eyes that he would have liked to keep me and McGee at the office to do some paper work, but then he just let us go. I didn't complain."

"I don't complain either", she whispered and softly pressed her lips to his. "Weekends off are no fun without you", she admitted because she wanted him to know how much she liked having him around.

"You know, weekends at the office are no fun without you either", he said. "McGee is not nearly as nice to look at as you are. And daydreams with him in it …" Tony shook his head in disgust and Kate burst out laughing.

"What about the new team member? Is she nothing to look at?" Kate had tried to sound casual, but was really curious about Tony's reaction.

"You know these statues that people make out of ice for decoration?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"She's just like them: stiff, ice cold and colorless. The only difference is that I don't think warm weather is enough to make her shell melt."

"What a poet you are", Kate sighed in mock admiration, but kissed his cheek when he feigned hurt. "Come on now, we have half an afternoon to fill."

They soon agreed to go into the park, and this time, together with Tony, a blanket and some sandwiches, she enjoyed it a lot. They sat under a tree and watched the families and frisbee players. Tony kept pretending he was on observation duty and tried to talk Kate into making strange suggestions about the private lives of the people who surrounded them.

"Come on", he said, sounding serious. "That guy over there, the one in khakis and T-shirt – there's no way he's here just for fun. I know, it seems he's reading the paper, but I swear he's here on a mission."

"Like what? Nicking sandwiches from picnickers?"

"You think so?" Tony asked, feigning shock.

"I wouldn't put it past him", Kate whispered in a serious tone. When Tony smiled at her, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips before curling up on the blanket and placing her head in his lap. Tony immediately brought one hand up to her hair and threaded his fingers through it.

"What about your case?" Kate asked with closed eyes, sighing at the pleasurable feeling of his fingertips on her scalp.

"Strange one", he replied. "There's this lieutenant first grade Adriana Reynes. On Friday she was supposed to be on duty on Norfolk naval base, starting at 8 a.m. But she never showed up. She's working in one of the offices and up to Friday she had always been very reliable, according to her boss and co-workers. That's why when she didn't come to the office on Friday, they didn't report immediately. Wanted to give her a chance to keep it off the record. Then, in the afternoon, Lieutenant Reynes' boyfriend called the office, wanting to know if Adriana was there."

"He's the one who found her apartment in disorder?" Kate asked.

"Exactly. One lamp on the bedside table had been thrown to the floor, there was also a chair kicked over in the living room and a vase had been knocked over. But there were no signs that the door had been forced open."

"So whoever it was might have a key …"

"Or the victim knew the person and let him or her in."

"And where was the boyfriend during the night?"

"Out of town. We've already checked that, it's true. He was gone from Wednesday to Friday afternoon, then went right to Reynes' apartment."

"And have you been able to find out what Reynes had been doing the night before? I mean did she have plans with friends …"

"We talked to her best friend, a civilian, who said that Adriana rarely went out on weekdays. We assume she was at home, but we don't know for sure."

"What about the neighbors?" Kate asked. The case already had her intrigued.

"Nobody has seen her after she left the office on Thursday evening. The neighbors say no sound came from her apartment, but that's no surprise because the building has really good isolation in the walls. But an elderly woman living in the flat right under Adriana Reynes' says that in the middle of the night she heard a sound, like something falling to the ground."

"Could have been the lamp or the chair."

"That's what we think. The witness thinks it was about two or three in the morning when she heard the noise. That's all."

"And what about fingerprints or other trace in the apartment?"

"Nothing suspicious."

"Strange. What are you going to do next?"

"We are going to do more questioning at the office, try to find more friends and relatives. We don't have a clue where she could be, so we have to look everywhere."

Kate sighed, looking up into the tree whose leaves were rustling in the light breeze. Tony carefully lifted her shoulders up and shifted his position so that he was lying next to her. "What is it?" he asked softly and bent over to kiss her forehead.

"Nothing." She shook her head and brought one hand up to his cheek to hold him close and kiss his lips. "I'd just like to help, that's all."

Tony nodded. He felt really bad because Kate had been forced into volunteering to leave the team. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed so easily. He could have tried to talk her into letting him leave. Now he feared that if she didn't like the new team, she'd start to associate her unhappiness with the job with the fact that he and she were together. Not to mention that he really wanted her to like her job. Because he wanted her to be happy.

"Tony?" From her tone he could tell that it wasn't the first time she called him.

"Huh?" he said eloquently.

"I said that the sun is setting and asked if you wanted to go home", she repeated. "What were you thinking about?"

"The job", he murmured, not completely untruthfully. Smiling softly, he stroked her hair and leaned in to press a kiss to the underside of her jaw before sitting up and looking around. The park had emptied quickly within the last half hour, so they packed the remains of their picnic and left the park in companionable silence, hands firmly clasped together.

----

When Kate entered the office building on Monday morning her cell phone rang. It was the director's secretary who asked her to be at the director's office at 8:00, which meant that she had fifteen minutes left. She took the elevator up to the bullpen. McGee was already there, so was Abby, who was talking to McGee and pointing to something on his computer screen. When the young lab tech saw Kate she stormed towards her and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry!" Abby exclaimed. "And I want you to know that I am currently not talking to Gibbs. And I won't until he puts you back on his team. Honestly, sometimes Gibbs can be such an a…"

"An a… what?" asked Gibbs, appearing out of nowhere and walking towards his desk.

Abby shut her mouth and shot Gibbs an angry glare, before crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning back to McGee.

"Why are you here?" Gibbs asked Kate. "This isn't your part of the bullpen any longer."

"I'm about to go and see the director", she answered defensively. "And I'll have to clear my desk later and move my things to wherever you put me."

"Your desk has already been cleared", Gibbs informed her. "Tony is keeping your stuff in that box under his table."

"Oh … right", Kate muttered, a little taken aback.

"Where is Tony anyway?" Gibbs asked. "Are you still trying to keep up the appearances by coming to work separately?"

"We thought it would be stupid to only have one car for both of us since we probably won't be leaving at the same time – not that it is any of your business how my boyfriend and I get to work", she added rather sharply. The look from Gibbs she got for it was so angry that she decided to go up to the director's office a little earlier than necessary. It was not very clever to annoy Gibbs, even if he wasn't her team leader any more – he still was a senior agent.

At 8 o'clock precisely the secretary told her that the director was now prepared to see her and Kate entered. She was not surprised to find another woman sitting on one of the chairs in front of the director's desk. She was tall and slim with dark blond hair that was pulled back into a low bun, dressed in an expensive looking costume. Kate recognized her immediately.

"Good morning, Agent Todd", the director greeted her. "I assume you already know Agent Santo?"

"We haven't been officially introduced yet", Kate said and walked towards the blond woman who stood up to shake hands with her.

The director continued: "As you may have been told, a member of Agent Santo's team has already joined Agent Gibbs and your former colleagues. You are going to be transferred into Agent Santo's team, your new assignment starting today, 8:00 a.m. Do you have any objections to that?"

"No, ma'am, I don't."

"Then I'll leave you to your new assignment. I understand, Agent Santo, that your team is about to head out into the field?"

"Yes, ma'am. A dead body was found in the early morning hours in a Marine training camp." Miriam Santo's voice was deep and soft, but Kate also felt the strength in it. This was not a woman you wanted to get cross with.

tbc...

* * *

_I'd love to hear your opinion! Just press the button and tell me what you think._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Startled out of her concentration on the computer screen Kate looked up when a paper clip landed on the desk beside her. She furrowed her brows and picked up the clip, looking at it as if it had just dropped from the sky. She looked around, seeing no one in particular – especially not the certain someone who usually was at the other end of the trajectory that mysterious flying office supplies took in the bullpen. But then she saw his head come up behind one of the low walls that separate one work station from another, some steps to her left. He looked at her, saw that she was looking at him, too, and grinned. Kate, however, was in no mood for this kind of lame childish joke. She had paper work to do – loads of it – and was nowhere near finished. And a killer headache was already starting to build behind her eyes.

Starting on Monday her new team had investigated the murder of a young marine. Now it was Friday, the case was solved and Kate started to understand where Agent Santo's reputation for being nerve-wreckingly precise in everything she did came from. It had started at the crime scene with the begging of evidence. She wouldn't let anyone of them work alone. When a piece of evidence was found, two agents had to be present to check on the other one's work. She wouldn't let anyone seal a bag without another member of the team watching. The rest of the team, accustomed to the procedure, didn't seem to mind in the least. Kate, however, had constantly been biting her tongue to keep herself from questioning her senior agent's methods. She had, in fact, expressed her surprise the moment Agent Santo had explained the procedure. The look Kate got for her question had been enough to think twice about everything else she said.

The ordeal had continued with the questioning of witnesses. Agent Santo had made Kate stay near her in order to keep an eye on her, she guessed, so Kate had watched the witnesses being bombarded with such an amount of questions that in the end the poor people were pale and confused and Kate's hand was hurting because of having had to take the notes.

On Wednesday they had needed a search warrant for a suspect's apartment. In many cases, the difficult thing about getting a warrant was to convince the lawyers that they had already enough evidence against someone to justify their suspicion. In this case, the problem hadn't been some stubborn lawyer, but Agent Santo herself, who preached about civil rights and their abuse in front of the whole team.

Kate didn't want to pretend that Agent Santo was a bad agent. She and her team had done some nice and proper detective work and had solved the case within the week, but it wasn't the kind of investigation that Kate would call outstanding or in any way special – not like Gibbs'.

"What's the matter?" Tony had finally given up hiding behind the wall because Kate ignored him completely. Now he was leaning on the edge of her desk and looked down at her with an expression of hurt feelings because she hadn't appreciated him tossing office supplies at her.

Kate glared at him. "You know, when I decided to leave Gibbs' team, there was one thing I was looking forward to: not having to watch you getting bored during work and having to live with the consequences."

"Ouch, Caitlin, that hurt!" When she didn't respond, but only went back to work, he decided to change tactics: "I heard you solved your case today, good work."

"Thanks." She had her eyes still fixed on the screen.

"You know, Abby asked if the two of us were up to hit the clubs tonight. What do you think?"

"Hm?" Kate tilted her head in his direction but still didn't look at him.

"Abby, clubs, drinks", Tony tried again.

Kate blinked, then finally looked at him. "Tony, I'm sorry, I don't think I'm going to have the time. I'm still trying to come to terms with the specifications Agent Santo asked for my report. It's going to be longer than "War and Peace"."

"But it's Friday night."

"I know", she sighed. And she was aware of the fact that she had hardly seen him since Sunday. The case Tony had been working on had kept him very busy all week. And when he had managed to get out of the office before sunset, it had been her who had to do overtime. She had only seen him in the mornings in the bullpen – most times only from far away because her new desk was at the other end of the room – and on the two occasions when they had had lunch together. Anyways, she had been so busy she had hardly had the time to miss him properly. But now that he was sitting on her desk looking at her with both the expression of a beaten puppy and a pleading child she felt the urge to be with him burn in her chest. She wanted to hug and kiss him, but the rest of her team – minus Agent Santo, who had gone up to see the director – was sitting mere feet away and Kate was strictly against public displays of affection in the bullpen.

She got up and leaned her hip against the table, bringing herself so close to Tony that their thighs were touching. His expression changed, the pleading child was replaced by a turned-on teenager.

"Tony, I'd like to come", she assured him. "But Santo wants the reports finished before the weekend. I can't just leave now."

"How long will it take you?"

"I'm not sure", she sighed. "Two hours, at least."

"Whoa!" Tony exclaimed. "That's cruel!"

Kate smiled at him, thankful for his sympathy and came up with a compromise: "Look, why don't you go and meet Abby? I'll finish here as fast as I can, then I'll join you."

"Promised?"

"Yes." She was still smiling, the urge to kiss him becoming almost overwhelming, but she couldn't give in. With very great effort she turned away from him and sat down in front of the screen again. "I'll call you when I leave the building, okay?" She touched his knee, half pleading him to accept, half looking for a last opportunity to touch him.

He nodded. "I'll be waiting, sweetheart."

"Bye", she whispered when he turned to leave for the elevators. It was 7 p.m. _Two more hours?_ _I bet I can do it in one and a half_, Kate said to herself and started.

Two hours and a half later, Kate dropped the report on Agent Santo's desk. She had worked as fast as she could, but hadn't been able to finish earlier. By now the headache had developed into a blinding pain behind her forehead and her shoulders were so stiff she could hardly move her arms.

Agent Santo didn't even look up, she just nodded and signaled with one hand that Kate may leave now. Kate hurried to get her purse and headed for the elevators. As soon as the doors had closed she sank back against the wall of the car and closed her eyes. Her head was throbbing and her shoulders hurt like hell. She wanted home, wanted her bed, maybe a hot bath before, and then nothing but sleep.

As soon as she sat in the car, she took out her cell phone and dialed Tony's number.

"Hi, Sweetheart!" he yelled on the other end of the line. Kate grimaced and held the phone away from her ear. Tony's shouting and the background noise from the club he was currently in didn't make her headache any better. "Wait a sec!" he shouted.

Kate let her head sink back against the head rest and closed her eyes. She heard music and people's voices flow out of the earpiece and moaned. Only the thought of being in such a crowded and noisy place now made her headache get worse.

Then the noise ended and Tony said: "Kate?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Sorry, had to get out to talk to you. This club is amazing! Loads of crazy people. When will you be here?"

"I'm not coming, Tony", she sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel good, and I …"

"No, Kate, you promised! Come on … it's fun, you'll see."

"No, I won't. I'm going to go home, take a bath and go to bed."

"Kate, spending all your evenings at home is not good for you. You have to go out, meet some people, have fun."

"Not when I'm having a headache and feeling like I haven't slept in a week", she replied angrily. Why wouldn't he understand? Of course, he hadn't spent the whole last week biting his tongue, holding back, and fighting the frustration. He had had that great case and he worked for someone who actually trusted his agents to be capable of bagging evidence all by themselves.

"Come on now, Kate, you're coming, aren't you? We haven't spent time together in ages!"

"I know" she moaned. "But I am really not feeling good. I want to go home. Wouldn't you like to come, too?"

"Ah … Kate, some good friends of mine showed up on short notice – friends who'd really like to meet you, by the way. I told them I'd have a drink with them."

"I see", Kate said halfheartedly. "So you're not coming?"

"This is my first evening off since Sunday", he said.

"I know. Mine too", she replied in a not very friendly tone.

"So … then …" Tony was definitely taken aback by her snapping at him.

Kate only sighed. "Have a nice evening, Tony", she said as calm as she could.

"You too. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Okay then, tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Kate hung up, tossed the phone on the passenger's seat and hit the steering wheel with both fists. Dammit! She had been really looking forward to seeing him tonight. And now she could choose between going to join him at the club with her headache and a bad mood, spoiling the evening for Tony, Abby and their friends, or going home to the blissful warmth and coziness of her bed.

While she pulled out of the parking lot she was starting to feel reproachful because Tony hadn't wanted to come to her place instead. The reasonable side of her brain argued that he, like her, earned the night off and should have fun with his friends. The other side of her, the one that was in pain and felt lonely and deprived of love wasn't so understanding. First evening off in five days and he chose some friends over her? Sure, he loved nightclubs, especially the noisy and crowded ones, and he hadn't gotten a chance to go out in quite some time. But she was his girlfriend and had just told him she wasn't feeling good and still he refused to come and see her. Was this little sacrifice too much to ask? After all, she had left the team for him, wasn't it his turn now to do something for her?

Kate sighed. Was it really herself thinking here or was it just the headache? She didn't want to be angry with Tony and after all it was her standing him up not the other way round. And he hadn't forced her to leave the team, in fact, she was a hundred percent sure that he would have done the same for her if she hadn't been faster to act.

Now she was sorry she had snapped at him.

---

"What did she say? Is she on her way?" Abby had to yell into Tony's ear to make herself heard.

"She's not coming", he shouted back.

"Why not?"

"Had to work longer. Now she's too tired."

"Oh no, she can't be serious! What's better to wake you up than this club?"

Tony smiled at her and only shrugged. He looked around to see where his best friend Charlie and his girlfriend had gotten to, then saw them on the dance floor. It had been a surprise when Charlie had called him this evening. He was living in Philly at the moment and didn't come to Washington as often as he used to, mainly, Tony was sure, because of Cynthia, his girlfriend of two years. Tony had hoped Kate would come so she could meet Charlie and he could impress his old buddy with his girlfriend. But Kate wasn't the type to choose clubbing over everything else, he had known that from the beginning. Still, sometimes he wished she would go out more, be a little bit more relaxed. He was way past pretending that she was boring or even cold – as he had said some time in the past to tease her – she had taught him better than that by now. But very often he couldn't understand why she was acting like she was acting, choosing a quiet and empty home over having fun with friends.

"Come on, Tony, take me dancing!" Abby shouted, grabbing his hand. He followed her through the crowd to join Charlie and Cynthia on the dance floor. He was going to make the best of the evening, even without Kate. But the truth was, and deep inside of him he knew that, an evening without Kate would just never be good enough.

---

Kate had gone to bed early, so she didn't sleep in on Saturday. She was out of bed by 7 a.m., made some coffee and settled at the kitchen table with the morning paper. Then she went for an early run and when she had showered and dressed afterwards it was only 8:30. She was on her way back into the kitchen to toast a bagel, when there was a knock on the front door. Frowning she looked out the small window next to the door and stared into Tony's smiling face. He had bent down to look through the window and was now grinning and waving at her.

She laughed and opened the door to let him in, only to be wrapped tightly in his arms the second he stepped over the threshold.

"Good morning, sunshine", he whispered into her ear and she felt goosebumps rise all over her arms when his warm breath tickled her skin.

"Good morning", she replied and leaned back to be able to look at him. She couldn't do anything about the smile that appeared on her face and stayed there like glued on. All she had to do was look at him and she felt the heat in her body rise. "Why are you here so early?" she asked. "I expected you to sleep till noon."

"Well, I had something to get up for, haven't I?"

"I guess you do", she said, grinning, and met him halfway for a slow and burning kiss.

"So are you feeling better?" he whispered against her lips, slowly maneuvering her backwards until she bumped into the armrest of the couch with the back of her thighs.

"Much better", she answered and carefully took one of his earlobes between her teeth. "Slept like a stone." Tony let out a deep sigh that she felt on the skin of her neck and his hands came down to grab the backs of her thighs and lift her up. He went around the couch and sat down with Kate straddling his lap.

"How was your evening?" she asked, bringing her lips back to his and placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Great. Good friend of mine came." He brought one hand up to the back of her neck and threaded his fingers through her hair, then pulled her close for a serious kiss.

"I didn't know that", she whispered when she broke away, gasping for air. "And, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry I snapped at you on the phone."

"Oh, sweetie, never mind." He smiled and cupped her face with both hands. She wanted to say something else, but he saw and closed her lips with his thumbs. "Kate, sweetheart, could we save the talking for later?" he asked.

She chuckled and turned her head to kiss the inside of his palm, then nodded. Without another word she let her hands wander down his chest, grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pulled the piece of clothing over his head. Discarding it on the floor she looked at him innocently and smiled. And that was all it needed for Tony to lose control. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer, readjusting her position on his lap, then he wrapped his arms around her back and held her tight so that she was leaning on his chest. His lips found hers hungrily and one of her hands fisted in the short hair on the back of his head.

She heard a faint sound, some kind of ringing, but couldn't really think about it right now, because Tony's kiss had wiped her mind blank. One of her hands stroked his upper arm, feeling his soft skin and the hard muscles beneath it.

rrringgg

Tony's hands had found their way under her T-shirt and were now roaming up and down the hot skin of her back.

rrringgg

She gasped when he started to trail kisses down the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin.

rrringgg

Tony lifted his head. Breathing hard and muttering swearwords at the same time he fumbled for his cell phone and finally pulled it out of the belt clip. Looking at the display, an expression of pure horror appeared on his face. "No!" he moaned. "It's Gibbs."

"You can't be serious!" Kate exclaimed.

Tony pressed 'send' and held the phone to his ear. "Hello? … Yes … What? This morning? … Are they sure? … What about fingerprints? … So there's still some doubt? … Yes, I'll be there."

"What is it?" Kate asked as soon as he had ended the call.

"The police of Newport News found the dead body of a woman floating in the Hampton Roads this morning. They aren't onehundred percent sure yet, but it's very likely that they have found Adriana Reynes."

"The navy lieutenant that went missing last Friday?"

"Exactly. I'm sorry, Kate, but I have to go."

"Of course you do", she said, climbing off his lap. She hated the thought that she was going to have to spend another day, maybe another weekend, without him, but this case had gotten her attention right from the beginning. If it really was Adriana Reynes, then all hopes of the family and friends to find her alive were lost.

"Come here", Tony said softly, helping her to her feet and pulling her into a tight embrace. He kissed her before touching his forehead to hers. "I hate this", he sighed. "I wanted to spend today with you."

"I know", she whispered. "Me too." She kissed him one more time. "Can you promise me something?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Can you promise me to come back as soon as you're finished? Even if it's in the middle of the night?"

"Yes", he said, breaking into a wide grin. "I promise."

tbc ...

* * *

_Again, I'd love to hear your opinion. Reviews please!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Gibbs, McGee and Agent Cole were already waiting in the truck when Tony arrived at the NCIS parking lot. Quickly he got out of the car and inside the passenger's seat of the truck, next to Agent Cole. Without a word Gibbs started the engine.

"What do we know?" Tony asked.

Gibbs snorted in the direction of McGee and the younger agent started: "Very early this morning the coast guard found a dead body in the water near the coast of Newport News. It is a woman, blond, approximately 5 foot 4', age between 25 and 35, or so they think. According to what they said on the phone, the body must have been in the water for some hours and they couldn't be sure if the woman was Lieutenant Reynes. Ducky is already on his way. He will take the fingerprints and we should get our confirmation soon."

"Why didn't we wait until we get the confirmation?"

"Because Lieutenant Reynes is the only blond woman in her late twenties that has been reported missing in the region", Gibbs said impatiently.

Tony didn't say anything else. He knew that Gibbs hated unsolved cases – they all did – and wanted to find a new lead. Of course, the dead body of Adriana Reynes hadn't been the lead they would have hoped for, but if she really was dead, at least now her body could help them find and punish the person who had done this.

Ducky was already at the scene when they arrived and had started to examine the body. It was lying on its back on the beach, near the water line, where it must have been laid down after they pulled it out of the water. The body was naked and its skin had a light blue color, but it didn't look like it had been exposed to the water for a very long time.

"What about an ID, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, bending down next to the M.E.

"Well, there are two characteristic marks that the boyfriend mentioned when Lt. Reynes was reported missing. First one is a heart-shaped birth-mark on the side of her left calve." Ducky touched the dead woman's left knee and carefully changed the angle of the leg so that the agents could see the dark birth-mark on the blue skin of the calve. "The other is a very small scar on the shell of her left ear, where her younger brother bit her when she was four years old. It also fits."

Tony looked at the woman's head for the first time to find the scar when he suddenly realized why the police officers had had problems identifying the body with the photo: A great part of her face was nothing more than a bloody mess. There was a large wound in her left cheek that stretched over her nose and also had done some damage to the lips. Tony took his eyes away from the gory sight and looked at Ducky, who was still talking to Gibbs:

"Since the description of Lieutenant Reynes suits this body so well, I'm already about ninety percent sure it's her. Fingerprints, of course, will give us final confirmation, but to get them I'll have to take her back to the lab."

"What happened to her face, Ducky?" Tony asked. "Was this some kind of animal? Or fish, since she was found in the water?"

"I don't think so, Tony." Ducky shook his had sadly. "Let me show you something. Help me turn her around, will you?"

Tony nodded and bent over the victim's upper body to grab her shoulders and turn her, while Ducky was holding her head, careful not to destroy any evidence.

"Do you see this?" The M.E. asked, pointing to a small, circular wound in the back of the head. "That's the entry wound of a bullet."

"And the face is where the bullet took its exit", Tony concluded.

Ducky nodded. "Exactly."

"Ducky, can you give me the time of death?"

"That is not easy to say yet, Jethro", Ducky replied. "All I can do at this point is give you the estimated time the body spent in the water."

"So?"

"Not more than twelve hours, I'd say, not less than eight."

"And this is not stagnant water", Agent Cole said. "Which means that she might have been deposited somewhere else and then drifted along the shore."

"That's correct", Ducky nodded.

"Good. Cole, DiNozzo, you'll talk to the coast guard and find out how strong the current is and where a body that ended up here would have had to be thrown into the water. As soon as Ducky gives us an exact time frame I want to hear your conclusions. McGee, you'll collect probes of the water, ground and plants, Ducky might need them."

---

It was in the middle of the afternoon when they returned to the headquarters. Tony and Susannah Cole had been provided with maps of the region and McGee was able to take access to the program of some local scientist who did research over the Hampton Roads, including a very detailed analysis of the current flow, which might help them a lot.

In the meantime, Ducky had confirmed that the dead body was in fact Adriana Reynes and he was able to tell them that she had been in the water for ten hours.

"But she was dead some time before that", the M.E. explained when Tony, Gibbs and Susannah came into the morgue to meet him. "I can now say that the time of death was yesterday between 6 and 8 p.m., COD being, of course, the gunshot wound to the head."

"That's strange since she was missing for a week", Susannah said. "What happened to her before she was killed?"

"That's up to us to find out", Gibbs said.

Tony looked at the new team member. She had done a great job today, staying focused even though he could tell that the mutilated body of Lieutenant Reynes had shocked her, too. The work she did was very precise, but since he knew about Agent Santo's methods from Kate, that was not a surprise. He had described Susannah as being cold and stiff in the beginning, but by now he had come to the conclusion that she was just a quiet person and always held back when she was around Gibbs – which may also be due to the character of her former team leader. She was also very afraid to do something that wasn't exactly textbook-style, which made her kind of a female McGee – only that she was better looking. She was tall and blond and had these stunning green eyes and high cheek bones that made her face look very exotic.

"What does the body tell us about what happened to her during the past week?" Tony asked, returning to the case.

"Not much", Ducky said. "There are no marks that would suggest she was chained or gagged. Neither are there any signs of physical violence, or other forms of mistreatment – except … it seems that she was deprived of food over a longer period. Her body shows signs of massive weight loss and poor nutrition."

"So she was starved?" Susannah asked.

"I would say so", Ducky nodded. "And the autopsy confirmed it: her stomach and the rest of her digestive tract were completely empty. But apart from that I fear that the body won't tell us much. The water destroyed most of the evidence that there might have been."

Back in the bullpen they provided McGee with the data they'd got and he fed them to the computer program. It didn't take long to get an answer. The program gave them the most likely starting point on the shore of the James River for the journey that the body had taken. But it was only the most likely possibility, and there were still other courses to be excluded. They'd have to go to Virginia tomorrow to get probes from the water and vegetation and compare them to what Ducky had found on the victim.

But before that they had some more interviews to do. Tony and Gibbs left HQ in the late afternoon to visit Lieutenant Reynes' brother, who lived in Washington. When he opened the door of his apartment and saw the two agents standing there, he froze.

"Oh my God, you've found her, haven't you?" he asked, and the horror on his face made it evident that he already knew what they were about to tell him.

"Mr. Reynes, I'm sorry", Gibbs said. "Your sister has been found dead this morning. Please accept my sincere condolences."

"Oh no!" the young man moaned and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, Adri, …" He turned away from the agents to hide the tears that were streaming down his face. "Please come in", he said over his shoulder and left the door open for them while he disappeared through another door that most likely led to the bathroom.

Gibbs and Tony entered and found the living room, where they remained standing while waiting for Gary Reynes to return. It didn't take long. The young man came in, rubbing his forehead and signaled both agents to sit down on the couch. He chose a chair opposite it and sank down on it.

"Where did you find her?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"She was found in the Hampton Roads near Newport News", Tony answered, and Gary just shook his head in disbelieve.

"Sir, I am really sorry, but we have some more questions to ask", Gibbs said. "Do you feel up to it?"

"Yes, of course. What do you want to know?"

"Do you know if your sister knew anybody living in Maryland, near the James river?"

"Ah … I don't know. She never mentioned anything, I think."

Gibbs nodded. Then he went on: "Maybe you have had the time to rethink some of the questions I've already asked when we first met. Have you come to think of somebody your sister might have been afraid of?"

"No, absolutely not. As I have already told you, Adriana was a very kind person. She had no enemies."

"Would you say that her behavior had changed in the weeks prior to her disappearance?"

Mr. Reynes opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again. He looked from Gibbs to Tony, then he shrugged and said: "I didn't notice anything. But I've been talking to Sam – that's Adri's boyfriend – … we have been talking a lot during the past week. And he mentioned that he thought something had been going on with her. He told me he had had the feeling that she wanted to break up with him."

"And on what did he base this impression?"

"I'm not sure. But he kept saying that she was pushing him away, wouldn't let him in any more. I think he thought she was seeing someone else."

"But Adriana didn't mention another man to you?" Tony asked.

"No. But I think even if she had been seeing someone, she wouldn't have told me. Sam and I are friends, you know. She wouldn't have put me in that position."

"I understand", Gibbs said. "But can you think of someone she might have confided in?"

"Her friend Gloria. She tells … told her everything. But I think you have already talked to her."

Gibbs nodded and shared a look with Tony, who understood. It was never a mistake to ask the same questions more than once.

They left the brother alone soon and left it to him to call Adriana's friends. There were no parents to inform since the Reynes siblings had been orphans since their late teens. Gibbs and Tony returned to the headquarters and decided not to talk to the best friend Gloria today. They wanted to give her some time to come to terms with the death of her friend, at least until tomorrow.

---

It was 10.30 p.m. when Tony arrived at Kate's place. When he pulled up in front of the house, he saw that the lamp over the front door was burning and he smiled. She was waiting for him.

He got out of the car and approached the door as quickly as he could without running. He knocked and only had to wait five seconds before the door opened and he was greeted by Kate's most breathtaking smile that usually left him speechless and at a total loss of what to do next. But today he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, reached for her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. When he had pushed her back inside he kicked the door shut, turned around with her in his arms and backed her up against it. He stopped kissing her and took his time to look down into her face, his hands positioned on the left and right of her shoulders against the door.

She was wearing the light rose negligee he loved so much on her body because it fit perfectly with the color of her skin and because it gave a lot of … insights. Slowly he trailed his right index finger down her neck, over her collar bone and along the side of her breast.

"I see you got a surprise for me", he teased.

"I thought you might like it", she said and he watched a small, wicked grin appear on her face. He knew that grin and recognition made goosebumps rise all over his body. That grin meant she was in a playful mood tonight.

---

It was very late in the night when they lay awake in bed and Kate finally wanted to know what new direction the case had taken that day.

Tony explained that they had really found Adriana Reynes and he gave some specifications about the state the body had been in. It was a gruesome topic for bed talk, but Tony and Kate didn't give the eeriness of it a second thought.

"That's really strange", Kate murmured when Tony had finished.

"What is?" Tony asked, sliding one arm under her shoulders to pull her to him.

Kate settled comfortably on his chest and draped an arm over his stomach. "The way she was killed", she explained. "When a woman is taken and kept hidden somewhere for a week, you'd expect the kidnapper to have some kind of plan. Well, he was not after money, that can be excluded because he didn't seek contact with the family. For me that leaves a crime of passion."

"You mean the guy's a rapist?" Tony shuddered at the thought. He wrapped an arm around Kate's waist and pressed a kiss to her forehead. When he held her like that, she felt so soft and fragile. He just could not imagine what had to be going on in the head of a man who was capable of hurting women in such a way.

"I don't think he is", Kate said, snuggling closer into his embrace. "First of all, you said Ducky hadn't found any sign of physical violence. And then there's the way he killed her that just doesn't fit."

"Why?"

"A gunshot wound to the back of the head. That's execution style. It's cold and it's fast. There's no passion in that."

"Is that the profiler talking?"

"What? Are you not interested?"

"Of course I am. Just go on."

"There's not much more to say. But for me it's clear that you are not looking for a man who had any sexual interest in the victim – nor any other sentimental attachment to her. And that excludes the boyfriend, or boyfriends, if that was the case, as well as the family, and leaves the question of a motive unanswered." She was silent, thinking for a moment, then she shook her head: "But there's still one problem. You said the door to her apartment wasn't forced open. That means she must have let the killer in. And that means she must have known the person. That makes my theory more unlikely."

"No, actually I have a theory about how the killer got inside the apartment."

"You do?"

"When we talked to the boyfriend again, some days after the lieutenant had disappeared, he told us that approximately one week before she disappeared she called him during the day to tell him that she had lost her key and might need his. But by the end of the day she had found hers again – in the parking lot under her car."

"So?"

"I think it's possible that somebody took it, made a copy and then put the key under her car to make it look like she had lost it."

"That's a good theory", Kate said. "But it still needs somebody who is close enough to the lieutenant to have access to her purse to take the key out."

"No, there could be a lot of explanations for that. I still like your theory. It's more than we have right now." Tony bent his head to press another kiss to her forehead, but couldn't reach her properly, so he rolled her over on her back and came to lie on top of her. She reached for him and he met her in a mind-blowing kiss that left them both breathless.

"Was that payment for profiling your killer?" she asked, chuckling.

Tony smiled at her and touched the tip of his nose to hers. "That's one thing I learned back when I was still a cop: always treat your sources well."

She shook her head in silent laughter and brought one hand up to his face. She ran her fingertips over his forehead, down his temple, then gently rubbed his cheek with her palm. Even though the room was dark, Tony could see the expression in her eyes that was softer and gentler than anything he had seen in them before. She lay completely still under him, yet the feeling of her body against his was so intense it almost took his breath away. Often when he looked at her he felt as if he was living in some kind of dream, but every time she touched him she felt realer than anything else. He was about to bend down and kiss her again, when she opened her mouth and said: "I love you, Tony."

His eyes widened at her words. She had never said that before, nor had he, not to her, not to any other woman. Of course he had been thinking about love, especially during the last few weeks together with Kate, he had thought about the feeling itself and the word and he had found out that he didn't know much about either. He had never felt nor said it before, except to his mother, which didn't really count. But it had been clear to him that if he stayed together with Kate both the feeling and the word would come up at some point. And now that it had he didn't know what to do. Somewhere in his brain some cells were doing a victory dance because they had registered the fact that Tony DiNozzo had managed to make the most amazing woman in the world fall in love with him, and he was happy about that – really! But he had no idea what to do next. Just say it back? But did he really feel it – yet? And was he ready for the consequences? He didn't know. All he knew was that his whole thing scared him.

All these thoughts shot through his head within one second after Kate's words. Then he smiled at her. He brought one hand up to brush a strand of hair out of her face, bent down and gently pressed his lips to hers. He felt her hesitate for the fraction of a second, but then she kissed him back and he relaxed.

* * *

_A/N: What do you think? Will Tony get away with that? _


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N__: This chapter concentrates on the case the team has. I know you want the Tate (and there is some interaction here as well), but I have this whole story planned and I need to get on with the plotline. _

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Sunday started with another trip out into the field. Tony and Susannah had to take probes from the water and vegetation of the places where Adriana Reynes' body had most likely been dumped. They had to get confirmation on one of the locations to be able to start looking for evidence there, so they made a trip up the eastern shore of the James River. Ducky had found a certain kind of seed of a water plant in the victim's hair that could not be found anywhere near the place her body had been pulled out of the water. If they found the place where this plant grew, they would be able to narrow down the search.

It was an exhausting trip. Tony and Susannah spent the whole morning crawling through bushes and wading hip deep into the water to collect the probes they needed. By noon they were wet, dirty and cold and were glad to be able to return to the car.

"I'm quite sure these things got some holes in them", Tony said when he pulled off the plastic protection pants he had been wearing. "My socks are wet."

"I am so glad I decided to wear my least favorite T-shirt for this trip." Susannah was delicately pulling pieces of leaves and twigs off her clothing and out of her hair. Her T-shirt was wet in some places, interesting places, but Tony kept his gaze at eye-level.

He smiled at her. "Ready to go back?"

"Yes please!"

Before they got back to HQ they stopped at a diner to eat a sandwich. They took some time to sit down and eat their lunch and soon were having a fluent conversation about Susannah's time in Agent Santo's team. She, like Kate, said that Agent Santo was not a bad agent, but very difficult to be with. She told some anecdotes that made Tony laugh. He liked her very dry sense of humor.

Back at the office they took the probes down to Abby and went up into the bullpen to see if Gibbs or McGee had found anything interesting. But they found Gibbs in a bad mood. He had wanted to see Lieutenant Reynes' CO again to ask some more questions, but Captain Sandler's wife had informed him that her husband usually went fishing on Sundays and they wouldn't be able to reach him until he got back that night.

Tony had settled at his desk and was thinking about an excuse to go out and call Kate, when the phone on his desk rang.

"DiNozzo."

"Hello, Agent DiNozzo, I'm glad I could reach you at work. This is Gary Reynes."

The victim's brother. "Mr. Reynes, how can I help you?"

"Mhm … I think I have found something that might be of some use … it could be nothing, but …"

"Just tell me what you have found."

"Well, Sam – Adri's boyfriend – called me today and asked me to pick up Adriana's car. It was at the garage."

"Yes." They had asked about the car, but Lieutenant Reynes' boyfriend had told them it had been at the garage the whole week prior to her disappearance to have some repair works done, so Adriana hadn't used it all week and they didn't think it was important.

"You see, they tried to reach my sister to tell her she could pick up the car, but couldn't reach her … of course. When Sam remembered the car this morning and phoned the garage they were already quite pissed. So he asked me to pick it up and I did. And I found something lying under the passenger's seat. A bill from a gas station in Glenora, that's near Lake Anna in Virginia. It dates from Sunday, May 20th."

"Approximately one week before she disappeared."

"Exactly. But I have no idea what she could have been doing there. I asked Sam about it and he said that Sunday she had been with her friend Gloria. So I asked Gloria and she told me that Adriana had spent that day with Sam. You see what I mean?"

"Your sister lied about her plans for that Sunday to her best friend and boyfriend?"

"I don't think she lied, maybe it was a mistake, but … I have no idea what she was doing near Lake Anna. Does this help you in any way?"

"I'm sure we can use that. Where's the car now?"

"I'm going to take it with me to Washington."

"I'd like to see it when you get here – and the bill you found, of course."

Tony immediately went to Gibbs with this new piece of information.

"Lake Anna?" Gibbs asked as soon as Tony had finished.

He nodded. "Why? What is it?"

Gibbs had already grabbed the receiver and was dialing a number. "Hello, Mrs. Sandler, this is Agent Gibbs, NCIS", he said, when the person on the other end of the line picked up. "I'm sorry to disturb you again. … Yes, I know. … Yes, you said that. … But … Yes … And where exactly did you say your husband is? … Yes … But I still need the address." He scribbled something on the note pad in front of him. "Thank you … Yes, please, tell him to call me when he gets home. Bye."

"What was that about?" Tony asked.

"Lake Anna!" Gibbs said, as if that would explain everything. Tony noticed that both McGee and Susannah were listening in on their conversation. "Captain Sandler has a small fishing cabin on the shore of the lake. He goes there almost every Sunday."

"You think that Lieutenant Reynes went to Lake Anna in May to meet her CO there?" Tony asked.

Gibbs gave him a stern look and Tony finally got the hint. "You think they had an affair?"

"Glenora, where the gas bill came from, is only a couple of miles away from the captain's cabin", Gibbs said. "If that's just a coincidence, I should seriously rethink some of the things that came up during my third divorce. Are you going to stare at me like that for much longer or will you pick up the phone and get us a search warrant?"

"On it, Boss!"

"Boss, I don't understand", McGee said from behind his desk. "Even if Captain Sandler had an affair with Lieutenant Reynes, that doesn't necessarily mean he's our killer."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Agent Cole, do you want to explain it?"

"Yes, sir … boss, of course", she stuttered, making Tony smile. Around Gibbs Susannah was as nervous as an approbatory agent during her first month. But then she got back to her usual logic way of thinking and ticked the reasons off for McGee: "First: The husband or boyfriend – or lover, in this case – is guilty in a very high percentage of cases. Second: Agent Sandler was Adriana Reynes' CO and he is married, which already are two motifs for murder if Lieutenant Reynes decided to go public with their relationship. Third: He lied to us during interrogation."

Four hours later Captain Sandler was sitting in the interrogation room across the table from Gibbs. He was still wearing his fishing clothes and a very upset look on his face. The search of the small cabin had brought up nothing, no women's clothes, no blood, no gun. But they had found two long blond hairs in the bedroom which obviously didn't belong to the Captain.

Gibbs didn't speak, nor did Captain Sandler. They were waiting for the JAG lawyer Captain Sandler had asked for and couldn't be denied. McGee finally led the lawyer into the room and relief showed on the Captain's face. The JAG immediately asked Gibbs to leave the room so that he could talk to his client in private.

Joining Tony, Susannah and McGee in the observation room he watched the two men behind the window stick their heads together and whisper to each other.

"What do you think they are coming up with?" Tony asked. He was quite convinced that Captain Sandler and Lieutenant Reynes had had an affair, but he was not so sure if the Captain really was the killer. He remembered what Kate had told him: not a crime of passion. And she had excluded that the murderer had any sentimental attachment to the victim. Tony thought about telling Gibbs about Kate's profile, but decided against it. If it was of importance during the interrogation he would tell him, but not until it was really necessary, because he knew Gibbs wouldn't approve of the fact that Tony had been talking to Kate about their case.

Captain Sandler and the JAG finished their private talk and the lawyer signaled towards the two-way mirror that Gibbs might come in now. When he sat in front of Captain Sandler again, he leaned back comfortably and fixed his gaze on his suspect.

"Captain Sandler, I want to know what kind of relationship you had to Lieutenant Adriana Reynes."

The JAG nodded and Captain Sandler answered: "We had a private relationship."

"Meaning?" Gibbs barked impatiently.

"We had a sexual relationship." The answer had been calm, but not without emotion. The captain seemed to feel pain at the thought of Adriana Reynes.

"Where were you on the night from Thursday, May 24, to Friday, May 25, the night of Adriana Reynes' disappearance?"

"I was at home, with my wife."

"Where were you on the evening of Thursday, May 31, and the night following it?"

"Again, I was at home."

"And would your wife tell me the same thing if I asked her?"

"Of course."

Gibbs was silent for some time, then said with a clear, cool voice: "Captain Sandler, did you kidnap and kill Lieutenant Adriana Reynes?"

The Captain's eyes grew wide because of the directness of this question. He shook his head fiercely. "No, I didn't. I loved her. I would never have hurt her."

"Then why – and I would really love to know that – did you think it necessary to lie to the NCIS during the whole course of our investigation?"

Captain Sandler swallowed with some difficulty, but didn't avoid Gibbs' eyes when he answered: "I knew, as soon as I told you that I was having an affair with Adriana, I would be the main suspect. But it wasn't me and I didn't want you to waste time interrogating me when you were supposed to be out there looking for the real culprit. I really hoped you would find her alive."

"I really appreciate your concern for the efficient use of my agents' time", Gibbs said sarcastically, then went back to asking questions: "When was the last time you saw the lieutenant alive?"

"On Thursday, May 24, around 5:30 p.m." The day before she disappeared.

"At the office?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you saw her in private?"

"The weekend before that. On Sunday. We met at the lake, we met there every week."

"Did you notice any change in her behavior? Was she worried about something?"

"No. I already told you that. I wouldn't have lied about such a thing. She was the same as always."

"What about your relationship? Was it a happy one? Was the lieutenant never upset about the fact that you were married, Captain?"

"No she wasn't. She was living in a dedicated relationship herself."

"So she never mentioned the wish to carry your relationship to the next level? Did she never ask you to leave your wife for her?"

"Adriana wasn't like that. She was a very reasonable person."

"Captain, I think there are two things you should know about me", Gibbs said, sounding very serious. "The first thing is: in my life I have known many women and not a single one of them was willing to be reasonable when it came to the violation of trust or faith. The second: I have been doing this job for a very long time and believe me, the story you just told me, I have heard it around fifty times already. And do you know how often the men who told it to me were innocent? Never."

Captain Sandler opened his mouth to respond, but the JAG was faster: "Agent Gibbs, my client has told you everything you wanted to know. He will not say anymore."

---

Back in the bullpen the team sat at their tables silently for quite some time. It was McGee who broke the silence by asking: "Boss, do you think he did it?"

"Yes", Gibbs said.

"Why?" Tony asked. "Because it's always the secret lover?"

"No", Gibbs said dryly. "But because everything points to him. He lied to us. He had a motive for doing it. And he had the opportunity. The lock on Lieutenant Reynes' door had not been forced open, so she must have known the killer well enough to open the door for him at three in the morning. Why do you believe he didn't do it?"

"He does have an alibi."

"I do not trust alibi's if the only person who can confirm them is the suspect's wife. She could be lying for him."

Tony nodded. "That's true. But there is also something Kate said." Tony had decided that this was too important to leave out.

"Are you saying you talked to your girlfriend about our case?" Gibbs barked.

Tony looked at him defiantly. "Don't be ridiculous … boss!" He added the last word quickly, noticing the dangerous glow in Gibbs' eyes. Then he went on more cautiously: "Kate is an agent with NCIS, as am I. And she happens to be a damn good profiler, so why not listen to what she says?"

"What did she say?" McGee dared to ask.

"She said that a boyfriend or lover is an unlikely suspect in our case because of the way Lieutenant Reynes was killed."

"What about it?" Susannah wanted to know.

"A shot to the back of the head is very cold, it's like an execution. Kate says whoever did it didn't have a close relationship to the victim."

"That's interesting", Gibbs said. "But I'm not going to base our investigation on it. We have a suspect and we are going to follow that lead."

"Yes boss." Tony sighed. At least he had told him.

---

Tony came home at 7:30 in the evening. He was going to phone Kate and invite her over, but first he wanted to take a shower and eat. And he wanted to have some time for himself to figure out how to handle the new situation. She had told him she loved him and he hadn't said it back. In the morning Kate hadn't lost one single word about anything that had happened during the night, but he was not stupid enough to think she might have forgotten what had happened – or hadn't noticed that he hadn't said he loved her too.

What was he going to do now? There still was the possibility of just telling her he loved her, but he wasn't sure if that was the best solution. After all he wasn't even sure about what he was feeling. And saying the three important words would make it final, there was no way back then. The strange thing was that he didn't think he would need a way back, but still he felt better knowing that there was one. And why were women so keen on voicing their feelings anyway? Their relationship had been perfect without that word 'love', why was it necessary to add it?

Finally Tony gave up. He was not going to find a solution, all that was left to him was to face it and hope that things would go back to normal again. So he picked up the phone and dialed Kate's number.

"Hi, Tony", she greeted him.

"Hi, Sweetie, how was your day?"

"Nice, thank you. How's the case going?"

"We finally have a suspect – Gibbs has, at least. I'm not so convinced he did it. But don't you want to come over to my place? I can tell you what we found out when you are here."

"Actually, Tony, I already have plans for today. I invited Abby over."

"Oh", was all that came to Tony's mind. That was _so_ not good. Not only because he wouldn't see Kate, but also because Kate and Abby meeting meant that a lot of girly talk was going to happen. And he had a strong suspicion he knew what the subject of that talk would be.

"I'm sorry, Tony", Kate said, a soft note to her voice. "I wasn't sure if you would call and Abby and I haven't had a girl's night in ages."

"That's okay", he assured her. "You are right, I should have called you earlier. I'm sorry."

"Never mind."

There was a long pause after that when neither of them knew what else to say. Then Tony heard her clear her throat before she said: "Listen, I have to go now. Abby's going to be here any minute."

"Sure", he said, still at a loss for words.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, sure." He had started sweating.

"Bye, Tony."

"Kate?"

"Yes?" Suddenly she sounded differently, more alert than before.

Tony opened his mouth to speak, but had no idea what to say.

"Tony?"

"…"

"Tony?"

"Yes … uh … maybe we could have lunch tomorrow. Or dinner? Whatever we have time for."

"Oh … sure", she said, then, more quietly: "Bye."

"Bye, Kate."

* * *

tbc... 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

On Monday morning Abby came up into the bullpen with the results on the water probes.

"What you got, Abs?" Gibbs asked, but Abby ignored him and went to Tony's desk.

"Here, Tony. I checked your probes with what I got from Ducky. I think we can now narrow down the radius."

"Where do we have to look?" Gibbs asked, only to be ignored again. So he stepped over to where Abby was standing, looked her directly in the eye and said: "Abby, I swear if you don't stop it, I will …"

Abby turned away from him before he could finish his sentence and spoke to Tony: "Tony, would you tell Gibbs that I do not respond well to threats of any kind?"

Tony winced. "Uh … seriously, Abby, I'd rather not be the one to tell him that." He could see that Gibbs was already fuming with anger.

Abby had narrowed down the area where the body had been dropped into the water to one mile of shore line. They searched that area, looking for tire tracks or anything out of the ordinary, but one mile could be very long when you didn't know exactly what you were looking for, so Tony and Susannah came back from their trip with a camera full of photographs made of the ground of each location where you could reach the water with a car. And since it hadn't rained in quite some time they had found dozens of recognizable tire tracks that could come from any car that had parked there within the last week.

In the meantime Captain Sandler's wife had confirmed her husband's alibi for both the night of the kidnapping and the murder, but that didn't convince Gibbs who still believed the captain was guilty. But he also had his agents investigate other suspects, the lieutenant's co-workers for example, whose files they searched for any connection to the area where the victim had been deposited, and who they questioned again and again to find out if anybody had had a relationship to the victim about which they didn't want to tell the investigators.

Tony was having a bad start of the week. The case was getting to him – he hated having no good leads – and in addition to that Abby had started sending strange looks his way. He was sure Kate had told her what had happened and of course the women stood together. Kate however acted like nothing had happened, but he didn't buy it. So when she stood him up for dinner on Monday because she had to investigate a new case with the rest of her team and was being unclear about her plans when he called her on Tuesday morning, he came to the conclusion that he was being punished. Women!

So he spent Tuesday's lunch break with Susannah at a café near the headquarters and helped her with her fear about Gibbs not liking her. It took quite some time to make clear to her that Gibbs treated everybody with that unfriendly and impatient manner – even Abby these days because she still refused to talk to him.

When they got back to HQ they ran into Kate who was leaving the building with a guy from her team. Susannah greeted her former colleague and Tony winked at Kate, signaling her with a gesture that he was going to call her later. She smiled back and nodded.

They spent the afternoon in the office, going through files, making phone calls, finding nothing. If they didn't get a new lead soon, the case was going to go cold and the murder of Adriana Reynes would remain unsolved. Tony hated that idea.

But still there was nothing he could do and so some of his afternoon was spent thinking about a nice restaurant that he could take Kate to. He came up with a Thai-restaurant he hadn't been to in quite some time, but that served good food and had a nice atmosphere. He made a reservation for eight o'clock, then he called Kate.

"Hi, Kate!" he said, the moment she picked up. "Are you busy?"

"No", she sighed. "This case is a total waste of time."

"So there's a chance you'll get away early today?"

"I think so. Why?"

Tony smiled when he noticed the childlike-inquisitive tone to her voice. Good. She was in a better mood than this morning.

"Why?" he repeated. "Because your boyfriend wants to go out with you tonight. I've made a reservation at a restaurant. I could come and pick you up around 7.30 this evening."

"That sounds great! I'll be ready at 7.30. Where are you taking me? Do I need to dress up?"

"Dressing up is never a mistake", he said sweetly.

"See you tonight then", she laughed.

---

Tony was at her door at 7.30 precisely and had even managed to pick up a bouquet of flowers on the way. Kate accepted the gift with a bright smile and wrapped one arm around his neck to pull him close for a kiss. He waited until she had put the flowers into a vase, then he led her to his car.

On the way to the restaurant they talked about traffic, the weather and the fact that Tony was thinking about getting a new comfy chair for his apartment. At the restaurant they were greeted by an older Asian waiter who showed them to their table, far away from the noise of the kitchen. Tony pulled out the chair for Kate and she touched his hand before he went to sit down himself.

After ordering wine, a curry for Kate and chicken for Tony, Kate wanted to know how the case was going. Tony hadn't kept her up to date recently, so he had to start with Gary Reynes finding the gas bill in the car and told her how they had found out about Adriana Reynes and James Sandler having an affair.

Kate listened intently and he enjoyed watching the interested look on her face and the glint in her eyes.

"What about your new colleague?" she asked when he had finished. The waiter had already brought their food and they were stealing bites from each other's plates. "Does she fit in?"

"In the beginning I didn't think she would, but she's doing fine now. She's more relaxed and she's actually quite a good investigator. Couldn't tell in the beginning because she was so nervous around Gibbs."

"And is she a nice person?"

"We are getting on well. On Sunday morning we had to do this terrible field trip, but we took it with humor. And we had lunch today – you saw us come back."

Kate nodded. Tony slightly tilted his head to one side while he studied her face. Kate didn't have a problem with the fact that he had had lunch with his colleague, did she?

"She's very pretty", Kate said, sounding casual.

That rang an alarm bell in Tony's head. "You think so?" he said, hoping he sounded surprised.

He knew he had made a mistake the moment he saw Kate's eyes darken. "Don't pretend you haven't noticed, Tony", she said impatiently. "I'm not blind, you know?"

He shrugged. "Fine, alright. She is pretty. Now what? She's new on the team. I only wanted to make her feel more at ease. That has nothing to do with what she looks like."

"It's alright, Tony", Kate said as if she was finding the topic already very boring.

"Fine", he sighed.

They were eating in silence for a minute or two. Finally Tony asked about Kate's case, just to make her talk again.

"Oh, that", Kate sighed. "It's about a female ensign who accuses her CO of sexual harassment. Don't get me wrong, I'm always taking such accusations very seriously, but this one ... I think the ensign has some kind of mental problem. She says weird things, constantly contradicts herself and every half an hour she has a tantrum about something. Her colleagues all think she's crazy. And the other women who work under the CO say he's a very correct man, polite, friendly, treating women respectfully."

"You think the ensign was imagining things?"

"I'm sure she was. And so is the rest of the team. But Agent Santo wouldn't let it go. She's talking about women's rights the whole day. She's convinced the CO is guilty even though the whole ship claims the opposite. Today I finally confronted her with my opinion and she got so angry she didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. None of the other's supported me, can you imagine? They all know she's making a mistake, but they just let her continue."

"That sounds bad", Tony said compassionately. "Do you think thing's are going to be okay between you and Agent Santo?"

"I don't know. And I don't really care right now. I'm still angry. That woman …" Kate didn't finish her sentence, she only sighed and shook her head."

"I'm sorry", Tony said and reached across the table to touch her hand. "But always remember: You put up with Gibbs for two and a half years and you survived. That woman is not a danger to you."

"Gibbs is not so bad, Tony", Kate said. "He can be a pain in the ass, but he's always been fair."

"Yeah, fair like not letting us stay on the same team."

"We knew about his rule when we decided to start a relationship. We can't blame him now."

"Come on, Kate. Did you really think he was going to kick one of us out?"

"I didn't know what he was going to do." Kate was sounding unnerved. "But yes, I expected some kind of punishment."

"And you think it's alright that our boss has the right to punish us for having a private relationship? Why are you defending him? I mean the way he's treating us, it's …"

"Not us, Tony, me! I took the punishment, so why are you complaining?"

Tony looked at her, speechless. He couldn't believe she had just said that! It wasn't his fault that Gibbs had forced them to make that decision. He would have left, but she had talked him out of it. And he was already feeling bad enough for the fact that she had to come to terms with a new team and a boss who seemed to be completely nuts. Was she now really reproaching him for her decision?

They didn't talk much during the rest of the meal and the silence that settled between them wasn't very comfortable. When the waiter asked if they'd like to order dessert, they both said no and asked for the check instead. So they left the restaurant quite early and drove back to Kate's house.

Kate was feeling bad for what she had said to Tony. It wasn't his fault that she didn't like the new team, it wasn't even his fault she had had to leave Gibbs' team because she had volunteered to do it. But still it had been a sacrifice, a greater one than she would have expected, and sometimes she just had the feeling that Tony didn't think twice about what she had done for their relationship. Like last Friday when he had gone out with his friends while she was feeling ill. And then the way he was talking about the case they were currently investigating: To him it didn't make a difference if she was on the team. He hadn't once said that he felt that the team needed her – all he had said was that he was bored when she wasn't there and even that shouldn't be a problem any longer since he knew Susannah Cole so well now.

When he stopped in front of her house they both waited for some seconds for the other to say something. Kate was in no mood for any more company tonight, but she knew it would feel very strange to just leave the car and not invite him in. She couldn't even expect an apology from him because it had been her who had said some very bad things. But she couldn't apologize either because at the moment she was really angry with him – without being able to give an exact reason for it. She simply was angry, period.

"I am very tired", she finally said. "I think I will just go to bed." She was half expecting him to try to change her mind by saying something sweet or just looking at her with hurt feelings showing on his face.

But his only reaction was to nod. He didn't even look at her, he looked at his hands still on the steering wheel when he said: "Goodnight, Kate."

"Goodnight", she whispered and got out of the car.

By the time she had reached her front door she was blinking back tears. But she was aware of the fact that Tony still sat in his parked car, waiting until she was safely inside, so she hurried to get into the house. When she had closed and locked the door behind her she leaned against it heavily, suddenly feeling very weak. This had been their first serious argument. But she wasn't even sure if you could call it an argument if everything that had happened was her saying something really nasty and him not talking anymore.

Kate kicked off her high-heeled shoes and padded over to the couch to sit down. She was trying to remember exactly what she had said to him, but repeating the words in her head over and over again didn't make them sound any better. There was no denying it: She had accused Tony of doing nothing while she was taking all the consequences of Gibbs' punishment. That had been so unfair. It had been him or her, one of them had had to leave and she wouldn't have wanted this someone to be Tony, seriously. She wouldn't have let him leave. He had been on the team first, he had the older rights.

But still – even though she knew it was unfair – she wished he would have tried harder to convince her. Just to know for sure that what happened to her was important to him. Just to make sure that their relationship was as important to him as it was to her. At that thought, Kate closed her eyes and groaned. She had told herself she was not going to have that thought again!

Maybe the tense situation was her fault. She shouldn't have told him that she loved him so early in their relationship. It had only been little more than a month and she had known that for Tony it would be hard to say the words. That's why she had decided a while ago that she would wait until he said it first. Because she didn't want to frighten him. And because she didn't want to get herself into the very unpleasant situation of telling him she loved him and him not saying it back. Exactly the situation she was in now. Still her rational side told her that there was no need to worry. Love needed time, so it was just normal that Tony wasn't sure about his feelings yet – that didn't mean he wasn't happy with her. She should even be glad that he hadn't said it back just because he felt he had to. That was a very mature way of acting.

But Kate just couldn't stop thinking about it. She was so in love with Tony, had been for weeks. When she told him, she hadn't even planned to do it, it just came out of her mouth and she couldn't hold it back. It had been such a perfect night. At that moment she had been sure she knew his feelings, so she told him hers. She had waited for him to answer, to say something, anything, but he hadn't spoken. It had hurt. And even though she hated herself for it, she couldn't keep herself from thinking that this might be the reason why he had let her leave the team and hadn't insisted on leaving himself: because he wasn't so sure if his feelings for her were strong enough.

---

Tony went into the office the next morning feeling very tired because he had spent a sleepless night. But he had come to a decision. Up in the bullpen he went straight to Gibbs and asked him for a face to face talk. Gibbs gave him an annoyed look, but finally nodded and they went into the empty observation room.

"What is it, DiNozzo? We've got work to do."

"I know, boss, but this is important. I have changed my mind."

"About what?"

"About Kate leaving the team."

"That's up to you. I told you, as soon as you decide to choose the job over whatever the two of you have going on, she can come back."

Tony immediately shook his head. "That's not what I meant", he said, louder than necessary.

"So you are not breaking up?"

"No, we are not. And we won't."

"Then what do you want to talk to me about?"

Tony took a deep breath to keep his composure. He was starting to get really pissed by Gibbs' attitude. But he managed to stay calm. "I want to trade places with Kate. She comes back on your team, I'll join Agent Santo's."

"No." Gibbs shook his head. "Kate made her decision and as far as I remember you were content with it. I arranged for the transfer, I'm not going to make any more changes. And Agent Santo wouldn't consent, either."

"But you just said that you would take Kate back if we weren't together anymore. Where's the difference to the transfer I suggested?"

"The difference is that Kate and Susannah trading places again would bring things back to normal. You and Kate trading places would just lead to chaos on both teams."

"Gibbs, that's rid…"

"DiNozzo, if I hear you say the word 'ridiculous' ever again, I swear the next transfer you get will be to Siberia. I'm not discussing this any further with you. As long as Kate and you are a couple, she will stay with Agent Santo. That's it." Having said that, Gibbs got up and left the room.

Tony was left sitting there feeling angry and disappointed. He had been sure his idea would work, but he had only been thinking about Kate and the fact that she would be happy to be back on Gibbs' team. He hadn't considered that it would be such a problem to convince Gibbs.

When he came back into the bullpen some minutes later he saw Kate sitting at her desk. He hesitated, fighting the urge to go and talk to her. He needed to talk to her. Just thinking about the silence that had settled between them in the car yesterday made him shiver. He needed to know if things were going to be okay between them. But what was he going to tell her?

After some seconds Kate noticed that someone was staring at her and looked up from the papers she had been studying. When she saw Tony she tilted her head to one side to look at him questioningly. Tony loved the expression she wore when she did that. It made him want to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless, even in the middle of the office. He had to do something, he would …, but Gibbs chose this precise moment to shout "DiNozzo!" across the entire bullpen.

Tony sighed and looked over to his boss who was signaling him with one hand to come to his desk. He looked back over at Kate, who was still looking back at him. Then he accepted his fate, turned around and walked over to his own desk.

"What's the matter?" he asked grumpily as soon as he had reached his team.

"Thanks for joining us, DiNozzo", Gibbs said and smacked him over the head before Tony could react. "We still have a case to solve. Get to work!"

tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

By the end of the week there was no more denying it: the Reynes case had gone cold. They didn't have a single suspect except for Captain Sandler against whom they didn't have the slightest proof. All they could proof was that Adriana Reynes had been to his fishing cabin because they had found some of the lieutenant's hairs in the bed, but that was not a great breakthrough since the captain didn't deny that she had been there with him. There had been no trace in the lieutenant's apartment or on the body that would have linked the captain to the kidnapping or murder, so they had to let that lead go. And with no more suspects and not a single lead to follow up they had to admit defeat.

It was Friday in the late afternoon and Tony was sitting at his desk pretending to be working. He even intended to work, but was having a serious concentration problem. Kate was still not talking to him. No, that was not correct, she was talking, greeted him when she saw him in the morning and actually had exchanged some small talk when they had met in the break room yesterday, but he wouldn't call any of that a real conversation. She was avoiding him, he was sure of that. And the worst thing? He was not entirely sure why she was treating him lake that. And it was driving him crazy!

At the same time Kate was down in Abby's lab waiting for some evidence. She was glad Agent Santo had sent her down to get it, because it gave her the opportunity to talk to Abby. The lab tech already knew about what had happened during dinner on Tuesday and now she couldn't believe that Kate hadn't sorted that out yet.

"Why don't you talk to him?" Abby asked. "If you are so upset about what you said to him then go and apologize."

"I should do that, shouldn't I? But I just don't know what to say. I'm sure he would understand and forgive me, but that would only make me feel guiltier."

Abby sighed and shook her head in defeat. "So, how long do you want to continue like that?" she asked. "I mean, you love him, don't you? How long can you treat him like that without breaking your own heart?" After she had said that, Kate's expression became so sad that Abby immediately felt sorry. She went over to Kate, who was leaning against one of the work tables, and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I know this is hard for you."

"But it's my fault! I shouldn't have said it."

"Hey, it was understandable. You were angry because of Santo and you were still upset because he hadn't said he loved you."

"Which is even worse, because I have no right to be upset because of that. I can't force him into saying it – or feeling it, by the way." Kate smiled sadly. All she would have to do was go up into the bullpen, take Tony aside and tell him she was sorry. "When I go and apologize", she said very quietly, "things are going to get back to normal. We'll spend the nights at each other's places again, have dinner together, be happy."

Abby blinked once, twice, then shrugged. "Sorry, I can't see what would be bad about that."

Kate smiled at her, still with that sad expression. "I need some time for myself to figure out where this relationship is going. Since we are on different teams everything has become so much more difficult, the different working hours, the weekends we have to spend at the office while the other is at home alone. It's hard, you know, not being able to see him when I want to. And then the whole thing with Agent Santo hating me and my colleagues who are all puppets on a string." Kate took a deep breath then shook her head. When she continued, her voice was so quiet Abby could hardly understand her: "And sometimes I can't help but think that maybe it's not worth to go through all these problems at work – not if Tony is not even sure about what he's feeling for me."

"Oh, Kate", Abby sighed. She put both hands on her shoulders and touched her forehead to that of her friend. "Kate, don't you dare doubt Tony's feelings for you!" she said, her soft tone taking the hard note from her words. "He may be still unsure about what it is, but I know he loves you. And you know it, too!"

"Yes, maybe. But it would be so good to hear it. Only to make sure that I'm not putting up with Agent Santo for nothing."

"Kate, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How are you planning on finding out any of the things you want to know without talking to Tony? You can't figure out where your relationship is leading you when you refuse to see him. And even if you want to spend some time on your own, explain it to him. Because with your behavior you are driving him nuts."

"Have you talked to him?" Kate wanted to know.

"He came down here yesterday and wanted to know how you are. Kate, he is desperate."

Kate only nodded her understanding. She didn't stay much longer, but took the prints Abby had prepared for her up into the bullpen. She saw Tony sit at his desk and felt the familiar ache in her chest that she always got when she wanted to be close to him. _It's so easy, Kate_, she told herself. _Just go over and talk to him_. _Tell him you aren't angry with him and that you just need some time._ _He will understand._

Kate looked down at the papers in her hands. _Or he won't understand and ask me what's wrong with me and why I'm behaving so ridiculously._ _By now he must be thinking that I am one of those complicated, easily offended girlies who play around with their boyfriends to make them do what they want._

Sighing, she decided to get the results to Agent Santo, who took them and studied them for a moment, then told the team what they were going to do next. Kate already knew that her weekend was going to be spent at work, she had known this morning when they had started with the new case.

On Saturday morning they went to Norfolk again where a body had been found on a ship that had come in from a 6 months journey Thursday night. They still had so many interrogations to do and files to go through that there was hardly any time to be annoyed by Agent Santo's behavior. But still Kate noticed that her boss tried not to let her take the leading role in interrogations and constantly was looking for a way to have Kate busy looking something up or doing background checks, which Kate found so frustrating that by Sunday in the early afternoon – they had spent the night at the base – she was in a flaring temper and managed only with great difficulty to maintain her composure around the others, who where already giving her strange looks because of her seemingly bad attitude.

By Sunday evening the case was solved. The PO 2nd class whose body they had found had died in an accident due to a severe violation of security guidelines by another PO, who had hidden the body and hoped he would get away with it. Kate was so glad to get back to Washington she was even looking forward to doing all the paperwork if only it got her out of the close proximity to Agent Santo and the others.

So as soon as she got to her desk she took everything that she'd need for her report and took it down to her car to do it at home. She hadn't told Agent Santo that she was going home, but damn that woman, as long as she finished the report in time, she couldn't complain, could she?

---

By Sunday Tony was so desperate he would have kneeled down in front of Kate and begged for forgiveness – even if he still didn't know what he had done wrong, it didn't matter anymore. He had spent the weekend at home and had hardly managed to get off the couch once. He knew that Kate was working and wouldn't have time to see him anyway, but still, knowing that she was angry with him made being without her so much harder.

It was eleven p.m. Tony had just finished watching some stupid movie whose story he had already started to forget and was now planning to go to bed – or just sleep on the couch because to go to bed he would have to get up first. When he heard the doorbell ring he was so surprised that for a moment he thought he must have fallen asleep and was now dreaming. But then he got up and walked over to the intercom system.

"Hello?"

"Tony, it's me."

"Kate?" Now he was sure he must be dreaming.

"Yes. Can I come in?"

He pressed the buzzer, then waited anxiously near the door. The apartment was a mess, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

How long could it take her to get up here? It seemed like an eternity to him, but finally he heard the knock on the door. And then she was standing in front of him, still in her work attire, black slacks and a light green blouse, her eyes shimmering with what could be lack of sleep, or tears.

Tony didn't speak, he had forgotten how to form words, and only invited her in with a gesture of his hand. He helped her out of her jacket and hung it up next to his, then he turned around again and saw that she was still standing in the same spot as before, watching him with her dark eyes. Somehow she looked lost, like she wasn't entirely sure how she had gotten to where she was now. Seeing her like this triggered in him a very strong urge to protect her and he quickly crossed the small distance that separated him from her. When he put both hands on her shoulders and touched the sides of her neck with his thumbs she looked up into his face.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"I missed you", she whispered.

When she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, Tony kissed her back longingly. He didn't ask any more questions. For the moment he was happy to have her there with him and didn't want to think about anything else. Kate was kissing him hungrily, feverishly, her body pressed against his, her arms wrapped tightly around him. Tony held her and kissed her back with everything he had to give, desperate not to let her go ever again. They soon lost some of their clothes and left them lying on the floor, while Tony picked her up and carried her to his bed that he hadn't wanted to sleep in while she hadn't been with him. Now he lay down next to Kate on the smooth covers and gathered her in his arms, kissing her with all his built-up need for her and enjoying beyond measure the feeling of her response. He knew that a lot of things still remained unspoken between them, but right now he didn't care.

---

It was 7 o'clock in the morning when Tony woke up to the feeling of a warm and soft body curled up against his. Kate's breath tickled his neck, its slow, regular rhythm telling him that she was still asleep. He closed his eyes again trying to imagine a life where they wouldn't have to get out of bed soon and where she would open her eyes and look at him and everything would be like it had been three weeks ago before Gibbs had found out about them.

Tony gently kissed her forehead and ran a hand down her back. After some seconds she began to stir and he smiled. Carefully he shifted his position a little bit to be able to kiss her on the lips and he soon felt her reaction. When he broke away, her eyes opened and she smiled at him.

"Hey", she whispered sleepily.

"Hey." He leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. He was so happy to have her there with him. He hated to wake up without her. "Sorry I woke you up", he whispered. "I just couldn't resist."

"Did you hear me complain?" she asked, making him smile. One of her arms sneaked around his neck and her lips lightly brushed over his. Her breath was warm on his face. Tony captured her lips and kissed her again, deeper this time, and his hands started to explore her body. He rolled her over onto her back and pressed her into the mattress, but kept some of his weight on his elbows in order not to squash her.

"How late is it?" she whispered against his lips.

"Seven", he murmured, taking her bottom lip between his and sucking gently.

Kate broke away from the kiss. "Seven already? I have to be at work in one hour – and I didn't bring any fresh clothes, so I have to go home first."

Tony stopped her protest by kissing her again. Kate wanted to say something and tried to push him away, but stopped when his tongue parted her lips. A small moan escaped her.

"I will be late for work and Santo is going to kill me", she managed to say between kisses.

Tony only made a faint grunting noise in the back of his throat and continued to kiss her. But Kate didn't stop her protest and so he finally lifted his head and looked down at her. "I'm not letting you go", he said, smiling. "So stop your protest now or I'll have to find different methods of persuasion."

"And these methods would be …?" Kate asked, chuckling.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he whispered, lowering his lips to hers again.

"Don't you have to be at work soon?" she wanted to know.

"I think I'm going to be late."

"But I can't be", she tried again. "I haven't even started the report yet and Santo wants it by noon."

Tony trailed a line of kisses along her jaw, then whispered into her ear: "I've missed you so much last week. I cannot let you go now, I can't." He gently nibbled her earlobe and Kate moaned softly. That was unfair! He knew exactly how much she liked it!

Five minutes – or half an hour? – later they were again disturbed, this time by Tony's cell phone that started ringing. Growling, Tony stretched to pick it up from the bedside table and looked at the display.

"Tony?" Kate asked when she saw his expression grow hard.

"It's Gibbs", he said and rolled off her body, before pressing send and answering the call.

Kate was more than just a little irritated. Five minutes ago he had convinced her that being late for work could easily be accepted for what he offered her in return. Now he answered Gibbs' call?

The conversation lasted only a minute. Then he turned to Kate.

"Another officer has been reported missing in Norfolk", he said. "Gibbs believes there could be a connection to the Reynes case."

"Oh", was all she had to say to that.

"I have to go, Kate, I'm sorry."

"But … what …?" She didn't know what to say. He had to go? But when she had told him the same thing minutes before, he hadn't even listened. Why was his job so much more important than hers?

Tony was already out of the bed and in the bathroom. Kate looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table and found that it was already a quarter past seven. She was going to be late, even more so when she waited for Tony to finish in the bathroom. So she got out of bed quickly, dressed in the clothes she had been wearing yesterday, grabbed her purse from the floor in the living room and left the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

_A/N: I know I'm mean. Sorry. But trust me, I know where I'm going (and I also like fluff!), so don't lose hope!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter ****8**

"Do we know if it's another abduction?" Tony asked, as soon as they were all seated inside the truck.

Gibbs left the parking lot and got onto the street before shoving a file onto Tony's lap. Tony looked inside and found the official photograph of a young female ensign of the navy. She had dark hair and a pretty smile, one of those smiles that made everyone want to smile back.

"The missing person is a female ensign, Laura Adams, 24 years old", Gibbs explained. "She works in one of the offices at Norfolk just like Lt. Reynes."

"Wait a moment", Tony said. "I don't understand. It's not even 8 a.m. How can she already have been reported missing?"

"It wasn't the office that reported her missing, but a friend who lives with her. This friend came home from a visit to her parents yesterday evening and found the house empty. She tried to call Ensign Adams, but couldn't reach her, then she called Adams' family and friends and also the base, but nobody had seen her. In the end, she called the police, but was told that they couldn't do anything if the person hasn't been missing for 48 hours. So she called the base again early this morning and since it's the second officer that went missing within two weeks they called us."

"How long could she have been missing?"

"A friend said she had seen the ensign on Saturday evening", Gibbs answered shortly.

"Do we suspect there's a connection between the two cases?" McGee asked from the back.

"We can't be sure yet", Gibbs said. "But it's possible. And if it is, we have a serious problem."

---

They drove directly to the small one-family house in Norfolk that the missing ensign had lived in together with a friend. This friend, a dark-haired woman around thirty, was already impatiently waiting for them and greeted them at the front door.

"Hi, my name is Sandra, Sandra Maloney. Thank you for coming."

The team shook hands with the distressed woman and she let them in and showed them to the living room.

"Ms. Maloney, tell us what happened", Gibbs said.

"I went to my parents' place over the weekend. I came back yesterday in the evening and I expected Laura to be here. She knew when I was coming home. But I couldn't find her and it gave me such a strange feeling."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"The bed wasn't made, for example. And Laura never leaves the house without making the bed. And she hadn't fed the cat. The morning paper was still lying on the front lawn …" She sighed. "It's all so weird. I mean, these things are ridiculous, not important, but Laura always used to take them very seriously."

Tony looked at Gibbs to find out what he was thinking about it. He seemed to be worried.

"Isn't it possible that Laura had some kind of emergency, like, in the family?" Tony asked.

"I know!" Sandra sighed. "That's what it looks like, isn't it? I was thinking the same thing at first. But then I called, like, everybody we know to find her. No one has an idea where she could be. And it's just not like Laura to leave without telling anyone. And then I remembered what she had told me about the woman who disappeared two weeks ago. Do you … do you think Laura could have been abducted, too?"

"We don't know yet", Gibbs said. "But we have to assume it. Ms. Maloney, was the door locked when you got here?"

"No, it wasn't. When the door is closed you can't open it from the outside unless you have a key. But we lock it all the same when the house is empty. That's why I was worried in the first place. Laura wouldn't leave the door unlocked."

"Who else has a key to your house?"

"Only Laura and I. But there is a surrogate key hidden in the garden. We have one of those fake stones to put it in."

"Did you check if the key was still there?"

"No I haven't!" she exclaimed and got up quickly. "How stupid!"

The key was still there. Gibbs opened the stone wearing latex gloves and found the key inside. He bagged it to check for fingerprints.

After that, Sandra Maloney showed Tony and McGee the rest of the house while Gibbs and Susannah went to talk to the neighbors. Tony soon realized that he had misunderstood the nature of Sandra Maloney's and Laura Adams' relationship. They didn't simply share the house, they were living together as a couple. The photographs already gave a hint, but the fact that there was only one bedroom that seemed to be inhabited was enough proof. Tony asked Ms. Maloney about it. She was surprised.

"I thought I had already mentioned on the phone that Laura was my girlfriend", she said. "But is that important for your work here?"

"No it isn't." Tony tried to smile reassuringly at her. "But I need to know which things you touched in the bedroom."

"I touched nothing. Even though the police didn't want to come, I was sure something had happened and I didn't touch anything. Couldn't sleep anyway, so I didn't need the bed."

They started to search the bedroom. McGee found that a strange scent was lingering on the sheets and Tony smelled it too. "I think that's chloroform", he said silently in order not to be overheard by Ms. Maloney and scare her even more. They took the sheets and put them inside several huge plastic bags. While McGee searched the rest of the bedroom, taking fingerprints and looking for fibers or hairs, Tony spoke with Sandra Adams.

"Did you notice anything strange in Laura's behavior during the last days or weeks maybe? Did she seem to be worried about something?"

"No … nothing like that. She is a very lively person, you know, never worried about anything." She smiled while she said that, then her face fell when her thoughts came back to reality.

"Could you think of anyone who would want to harm her?" Tony went on. "Did she have problems with anyone at work, for example?"

Sandra already started to shake her head, but then stopped and looked at Tony as if something had just hit her. "There was this guy, at work, she told me about him. Another ensign called Whiley or Whitley or something like that."

"What about him?"

"People in the office know that Laura is a lesbian, she never made a secret out of it. Most people don't have a problem with it, but this ensign … she said he had made some remarks when nobody else was around … sexual things."

"You mean he was harassing her?" Tony asked. A guy with a sexual interest, a woman turning him down. That was a motive.

"I'm not sure, she didn't want to talk about it. Do you think he did something to her?"

Tony saw that she was on the verge of breaking down. Her eyes were glazed over and her hands were shaking. He got up and sat on the couch next to her, where he placed one hand on her shoulder. "I am very sorry", he said. "But don't give up hope yet. We'll do all we can to find her."

"I know", she whispered. "Thank you… Would you … would you excuse me?"

"Of course", Tony said, and she got up and left the room.

He joined McGee again and helped him search the other rooms and the front porch.

The questioning of the neighbors brought nothing but one witness who had been woken up in the middle of the night from Saturday to Sunday by the sound of a car door closing. According to the sounds the car had been parked in front of Laura Adams' house and had left right after the door had been shut. The witness hadn't looked out of the window but remembered that it must have been around 2.30 in the morning.

In the early afternoon they reached the naval base and started questioning Ensign Adams' co-workers. Tony was especially interested in the ensign Sandra Maloney had mentioned. He had told Gibbs about it and he, too, wanted to talk to the man called Whiley or Whitley right away. They used an empty office for the questioning and started with Ensign Adams' CO, Lieutenant-Commander Eva Ross. They asked her if she knew the missing ensign well and what kind of person she was. They also wanted to know if the ensign had had problems with co-workers.

The answers they got were very much like what James Sandler had told them about Adriana Reynes before they had known that they had been having an affair. Lt.-Com. Ross said that Ensign Adams was a very friendly and reliable person, liked by everyone because of her open personality. She didn't know about any problems.

"Is there an Ensign Whiley working in your office?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes."

"Has Ensign Adams ever reported any problems with Ensign Whiley?"

"No, no problems, as I have already told you."

Gibbs only nodded. "When we talk to the rest of your staff, would you make sure we get to see him first."

"Of course." She nodded briskly.

Ensign Reed Whiley was very tall, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He was also very young and seemed to be very nervous when he came into the small room and sat down in front of the desk.

"How would you describe your relationship towards Ensign Adams?" Gibbs asked without introduction.

"Laura? … uh … we were colleagues."

"Good enough colleagues to be on a first name basis?"

"Uh … yes. We are about the same age, you see. She called me Reed, I called her Laura."

"Did you ever meet Laura outside the office?"

"No. We were colleagues, that's all."

"What can you tell us about her?"

"She was very friendly, always in a cheerful mood. Could also be very unnerving when she was humming or singing while she was working."

Gibbs eyes narrowed. "Was there anything else about her you didn't like?"

"Uh … I didn't say I didn't like her, did I?"

"What about her private life? Did Ensign Adams ever talk about her friends or relatives?"

Ensign Whiley sighed. "She always talked about her girlfriend. During break, you know, when the women sit together and talk about boyfriends and children she would always talk about her girlfriend. Isn't that a bit weird, I mean …" He looked at Gibbs and when he didn't get a reaction he tried Tony.

Tony leaned back and shrugged. He was following Ensign Whiley's lead. "Didn't really fit in, did she?" he asked.

The ensign seemed to be relieved. "That's what I wanted to say. I mean, such a pretty girl, could have any man she liked, but she feels too good for that."

"Did you ever tell her that?" Tony asked. "Maybe you could have brought her back to her senses."

"I tried, once or twice." The ensign shrugged. "I asked her out, but she got all weird and told me to stop it."

"Aww … come on!" Tony exclaimed, feigning sympathy.

The ensign smiled. "Yeah, I asked her if she wouldn't like to be with a real man for once."

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing, really. Just gave me a death glare, you know, the kind women are so good at."

Tony smiled. He knew exactly what the ensign meant. "And then?" he asked.

"Nothing. I left her alone. I mean, there's other women out there."

"And you didn't feel you had to show her that she couldn't treat you like that?" Gibbs now asked.

At first Ensign Whiley didn't seem to understand the question, then he did and his expression changed to one of shock. "What?" he asked. "Are you suggesting that I could have wanted to hurt her? Because she didn't want to go out with me?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Some women just never learn it, do they?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I am not like that. I respect women."

"Do you?"

The interrogation continued like that for quite some time, but didn't lead them anywhere. Finally they believed that Ensign Whiley didn't hide any negative feelings towards Ensign Adams and they had to let him go.

While talking to the other officers, they also tried to find out if Ensign Adams and Lieutenant Reynes had known each other, but couldn't find proof for or against it. The women had worked in different offices – in different buildings even -, and no one remembered having seen them together. While Gibbs and Tony talked to the officers, Susannah and McGee went through files to find a connection between the two women – always assuming that there was one and that the women hadn't disappeared out of completely different reasons.

They were back at HQ late in the evening and discussed their findings over Chinese takeout. They had different opinions on whether it was the same kidnapper or not. Tony thought it was.

"In both cases he waited until the victims were at home alone. He managed to get inside the house without breaking in. He left no trace."

"Both victims were women in their twenties", Susannah added. "They both worked at Norfolk naval base, both had flawless records."

"I'm not saying it's impossible that it's the same guy", McGee said. "I just can't see what the link between the two women is. And there has to be one, doesn't it? "

"We should go farther back", Susannah suggested. "They are about the same age. Could have met at the military academy."

"Not a bad idea", Gibbs said. "Check it."

McGee, who still had doubts, asked: "Boss, what if we base our investigation on the fact that it is the same guy and then it isn't. We could miss important clues on the new case because we are concentrating too hard on the old one."

"That's why we will be careful not to miss any important clues on the new case", Tony said. "The trick is to treat each case separately, but still not to leave out the connection."

"Great, and how do we do that?" McGee didn't sound convinced.

"By investigating Ensign Adams' abduction and double-checking every name that comes up with the Reynes case." Tony noticed the look Gibbs gave him and sighed. "What is it, boss?"

"Nothing. It's just that this is the first time in two weeks that I'm glad I actually kept you and not Kate."

Tony only grumbled something incomprehensible and settled to work. He re-read the protocol of the interrogations and also went over everything that Sandra Maloney had told him. He found nothing and he just couldn't understand it. The victims had no enemies. They had no dark past. They were not involved in any kind of criminal activity, of that he was sure. Where was the motive for killing them? No, not them, he corrected himself. He really had to stop thinking of Laura Adams in the past tense. All that they knew now was that she had been abducted. And even if it was the same man who had abducted and killed Adriana Reynes, it was very likely that Ensign Adams was still alive, because Lt. Reynes hadn't been killed until one week after her disappearance. There was still hope.

After some time Tony stretched and got up to go into the break room and get a coffee. When he entered he saw someone stand in front of the counter and look through the contents of the drawer that held the tea bags. He was surprised to find it was Kate, and immediately his stomach turned into a tight nod. She had left his apartment this morning without saying goodbye and he had the feeling that he was in even greater trouble now than he had been before.

"Hey, Kate", he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "What are you still doing here?"

She turned around and looked at him with a gaze that could have frozen water. "Santo is making me stay and do some research for her", she said coolly. "She didn't appreciate my being late this morning."

Tony had reached the counter and took his favorite cup to fill it with coffee. Kate had already returned to her teabags, she chose one, put it in her cup and filled it with hot water.

"Look, Kate", Tony started. "I'm sorry I had to leave this morning. But this new case might have a connection to the Reynes murder."

"Oh, I fully understand that", Kate said with a voice that signaled him that it would be better to take covers within the next five seconds.

"It doesn't mean I didn't want to stay with you – I did", Tony continued even though he knew he'd better be quiet now. "But Gibbs called – you know what he's like. I had to go."

"I also have a boss who likes to torture agents just for her own amusement!" Kate replied angrily. "But you convinced me to stay with you this morning and I agreed because I was willing to take whatever punishment I'd get for the sake of being with you!" Her eyes were blazing with fire by now and Tony, who felt threatened by her, backed away half a step.

But the outbreak was already over. Kate, getting no reaction from Tony, turned away from him shaking her head. She took her cup and turned to leave, but Tony stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Please don't go now, Kate", he pleaded. "Please, I … I can't survive another week like the last one. Tell me what you want me to do – I'll do it."

Kate turned around again to face him and when she looked up into his eyes she felt her heart break because of the sad look in them. "Don't you understand?" she asked, calmer this time. "I'm working with people I don't feel comfortable with, in a job that seems to be a million miles away from what I used to be doing here at NCIS. And it doesn't make me happy. But I'm gladly doing it as long as I know that when I come home you'll be waiting there for me."

"But I will be there, waiting for you", he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Can you say that during these past weeks you have known exactly where this thing between us is going? And if it will hold?"

"Of course I can't", Tony sighed. "Nobody can say if a relationship will hold forever. All you can do is wait for it to develop." He stepped closer to her again and stood there, inches from her, but not trying to touch her out of fear she would turn away again.

She didn't turn away, but she didn't look at him either. She looked down at her feet, not moving. And then he heard her say the words that made his heart stop: "Maybe sometimes waiting just isn't enough." And with that she turned around and left.

tbc…


	9. Chapter 9

**_Thanks to all my great reviewers! I hope you'll like this one too!_**

**Chapter 9**

Tuesday morning came like every other weekday and found the bullpen full of people, buzzing with life, phones ringing, keyboards clicking, people talking. Except that for Tony it felt like a completely different world. He hadn't slept during the night, so much he knew, but he couldn't remember what he had been doing instead. He didn't care much, to be honest.

He had been at the office first, even before Gibbs. Then Gibbs arrived, then Susannah, McGee. They were currently discussing something, but Tony didn't listen. Their voices were like a distant humming in his brain and he couldn't make any sense of it – not that he really tried.

It needed for Susannah to go over to him and put a hand on his shoulder to make him realize that he had no idea what was going on.

"Tony, is everything alright?" she asked carefully.

"Sure", he murmured, still not completely out of his trance. "Were you saying something?"

"I asked for a summary of what we got so far", Gibbs said and his voice implied that he would have liked to hit Tony over the head, but he didn't move to do so.

Tony looked at his notepad, thinking about where to start, then he said: "One of the ensign's coworkers says she spent Saturday evening with the ensign, in a café. They went home separately around 11 p.m. That was the last time anybody saw her."

McGee picked up the thread because Tony didn't go on: "We assume Ensign Adams went home afterwards because the state of the bed suggests she must have slept in it at some point during the night. A neighor reports a car leaving from the street in front of the ensign's house at approximately 2.30 a.m."

"No signs of a struggle this time", Susannah added. She had returned to her desk, but was still eyeing Tony worriedly. "Except for the bed covers everything in the house was in place. The lock was intact, again, but there was a surrogate key in the garden, which a person who planned the abduction and maybe observed the house might have known about."

"What about the trace you found in the bedroom?" Gibbs asked.

As if she had known Gibbs would ask, Abby appeared in the bullpen at this precise moment.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully and, like they had become accustomed to, didn't even look at Gibbs but went straight to Tony's desk.

"I finished running the trace you and McGee collected", she said. "And you might want to inform your team leader that there really were traces of chloroform on the pillow."

"So she was drugged", McGee concluded. "That's why there was no sign of a struggle. But that leads to believe that it was not the same guy as in the Reynes case. Her killer didn't use chloroform for the abduction."

"We don't know that for sure", Susannah said. "He could have used it, but didn't leave a trace of it behind."

"No", McGee said. "Had he used it, there wouldn't have been signs of a struggle because Lt. Reynes would have been unconscious."

"That means that either it's not the same guy …", Susannah started.

"… or he changed tactics", Abby concluded.

"Which would be logic since he obviously had some problems overpowering Lt. Reynes", Gibbs added.

At that, Abby smiled at him, but then seemed to remember she was not talking to him, so she crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned away from Gibbs.

"But that's everything I've got", she said in the general direction of Tony and McGee. "All the fingerprints in the bedroom belong to Laura Adams or Sandra Maloney, so do the hairs on the sheets. The guy must have been wearing gloves and most likely also some kind of mask, maybe a ski mask, not only to hide his face, but also to avoid leaving hairs behind."

She shrugged apologetically and smiled at Tony. When he didn't react, she cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. And only now did she seem to notice the dark shadows under his eyes or the fact that he hadn't shaved in the morning. Worry appeared on her features. She went around Tony's desk and stood close to him while the others started to discuss the case.

"I still think it's the same guy", Susannah said.

"Explain it", Gibbs demanded.

"Mainly it is because of the fact that both women didn't live alone, but the man who abducted them seems to have known exactly when they would be at home alone for a longer time. He also knew how to get inside the house without breaking in. He must have followed them for a while to find these things out."

"You know, these plastic stones people use for their keys are not a very clever hiding-place", McGee said. "Anybody could have found it there."

"In the dark?" Susannah asked skeptically.

"If it was the same guy, how do you suppose he chose his victims?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"I'm not sure", she admitted. "But since the only connection we were able to find is the Norfolk Naval Base, I'd say we're looking for someone who is stationed there, too."

"But we checked the files", McGee said. "No one was working with both women."

"You forget the people who work in the cantina, the cleaners … There could be a lot of people who knew them both."

"Good point", Abby said from her place next to Tony. She had spent the last minute trying to catch his gaze, but he kept it on the floor in front of his desk.

"Yes, good point", Gibbs agreed. "We'll check it. And if somebody managed to wake up DiNozzo we would have four agents to do the job and not only three."

"What's the matter with him?" Abby asked. She was still standing right next to Tony, but he hadn't even noticed they were talking about him.

"We don't know", Susannah answered. "He was like that when we got here."

Finally Gibbs got up and walked over to Tony. Abby saw what he was about to do and said: "Gibbs, don't!" but it was too late. He hit him on the back of the head, hard, and Tony jerked out of his trance.

"What?" he asked confusedly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Welcome back!" Gibbs growled.

"Huh?" Tony hadn't registered a word of what had been said. Right now in his head there was only enough room for one single question: Had Kate broken up with him? Because he wasn't sure if she had. It had felt like it. But still, it could also have meant that she was angry with him and didn't want to talk to him anymore. God, he hoped it was the latter. He didn't have the faintest idea what he was supposed to do if she had really left him. The thought alone made his heart freeze and his whole body go numb with fear.

He jumped when his phone rang. He had done it again, had drifted off. Quickly he picked up the receiver. "DiNozzo."

"Hello, Agent DiNozzo", a female voice said. It took a moment until he recognized the voice. It was Ensign Adams' girlfriend.

"Ms. Maloney, how can I help you?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to call. Have you found something? Do you know where Laura is?"

"Not yet, Ms. Maloney, I am really sorry. We are still investigating the case. I would have called you if we had found something."

"I know, I know …" He heard her sigh, a sad sound that was half covered by a silent sob. "Please find her, Agent DiNozzo", she pleaded. "Laura is everything to me. I don't know what I would do without her."

"Ms. Maloney, I promise you I will do everything that lies within my power to bring her back to you. Don't give up." He wasn't quite sure if he had said those last words to Sandra Maloney or to himself.

When he had ended the call, Tony buried his face in his hands and bent over until his forehead touched the edge of his desk. He wanted to scream with frustration or smash something, but all he ended up doing was knock his forehead flat on the table three times, each time a little bit harder than before. When he looked up afterwards, his head hurt, but he finally felt that his mind was now clear enough to concentrate again. He couldn't give up now. Ensign Adams was out there and he was going to find her and bring her back to the person she loved. Because that was his job, damn it!

Abby had already returned to the lab, so Tony went over to Susannah and asked her to explain to him what they were doing at the moment. Then he helped her look through the files of – so it seemed – every single person who worked on the base and make phone calls to both victim's friends and family. They checked where they normally had lunch, where they parked their cars while on the base, where they got their coffee from, which cleaning personnel was responsible for the two offices, who had done repair works in the offices during the past six months, who upgraded the computers, which company had done the maintenance service for the air conditioner. When they were finished they had found about two dozen names, some of them being, for example, a very young seaman whose job it was to take files from one office to the other in the entire building, a total of five cleaners who had been working in both offices during the past two months and a civilian who ran a small coffee shop in the basement. There were also a lot of others and they were going to have to question every single one of them.

By now they had abandoned the possibility that there was no connection between the two cases. Even though there was a small chance that they might be wrong, there just wasn't enough to go for as long as they concentrated on Ensign Adams alone.

They went to Norfolk to do the interrogations. They started to talk to all the people they had come across during their research, but had to stop when it got too late in the evening. They stayed at the base overnight and continued the interrogations early in the morning. Tony felt a lot better now that he was finally really doing something useful. And he was so busy he had hardly any time to think about Kate. It was a great relief for him.

On their first day they talked to the cleaners, one by one. Each of them pointed out that they normally didn't work in the offices while the staff was still there. But they admitted that sometimes they saw some of the officers when they did overtime. Two of them recognized Lt. Reynes on a photograph, one recognized Ensign Adams, none knew both of them. But of course the killer wouldn't admit that he knew both victims, so they did a background check on every person they questioned. One of the cleaners had a previous record for domestic violence, but after some more research they found out that he had been with his sick mother the whole last weekend, so he couldn't be responsible for Ensign Adams' disappearance.

On the second day Gibbs and Tony talked to the guy who owned the coffee shop, a team of computer techs that had worked in the offices some weeks ago and the young seaman who carried the files. In the meantime Susannah and McGee went to the company that had done work on the air conditioning system recently.

In the evening they got back together and discussed their findings. McGee and Susannah had brought one of the employee records of the company they had investigated. A man called Michael Roholsky had worked in both offices and had a previous record for bodily harm and he had been charged with rape once, but hadn't been convicted.

"A nice guy to be around, I'm sure", Tony remarked.

"He's a bastard!" Susannah spat out.

"Does he have an alibi?"

"No, he doesn't. He lives alone and says he was at home on all the dates we gave him."

"Then we'll keep a close eye on him", Gibbs said.

"What have you got?" Susannah asked.

"There's a man who works at the cafeteria", Tony said. "His name is Charles Riker. Six months ago, a female officer complained about him because he had made some kind of sexual remark about her. But he apologized and she let it drop. Colleagues of both victims confirmed, that Lt. Reynes and Ensign Adams went to the cafeteria at least once a day."

"So he might have known them both", McGee concluded.

"I want to see the two men at HQ tomorrow morning", Gibbs said. "Do you have background material on your company guy?"

"Yes, boss", McGee and Susannah said simultaneously.

"Good, then arrange for him to come and see us in Washington tomorrow. And now let's get back home."

---

When Tony was finally back at home on Wednesday evening, the emptiness and quiet of his apartment seemed to crash down on him like a gigantic wave. After only half an hour he felt he was going to suffocate if he didn't get out, so he grabbed his car keys and left the apartment.

He drove through the streets on autopilot for more than an hour and it was a miracle he didn't cause an accident. Finally he stopped near the sidewalk of a very quiet street and stared out of the window for a full minute before he realized that his sleep deprived brain had led him directly to Kate's house. He was parked just across the street from it. It was already past midnight and no lights were burning behind her windows. For some time Tony just sat there, enjoying the thought that fifty yards away from him Kate was sleeping peacefully.

He had spent about half an hour in his parked car when suddenly the light was switched on in Kate's kitchen. What was she doing that late in the night?

Without consciously thinking about it he got out of the car and crossed the street. He reached her front door and knocked, his heart beating so fast in his chest that he felt a stinging pain behind his ribs. After some seconds he heard her voice from the inside, warily: "Who's there?"

"It's me, Kate. Tony."

The door opened and there she was, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts that reached down to her mid-thigh. Her hair was falling loosely down on her shoulders, a little disheveled like she had already been in bed.

Tony smiled at her, he couldn't help it. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"It's 1 a.m."

"I know. And I don't want to disturb you, but I saw your lights on and I thought …" He broke off because he didn't know what he had been thinking. "Can I come in? I want to speak with you."

She nodded and stepped back to let him in, then she went to switch on the floor lamp next to the couch that only dimly lit the room. Tony sat down on the couch next to her and tried to come up with something meaningful to say.

"Why are you still up?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

He smiled and nodded.

"I heard you stayed at Norfolk last night?" she said.

When he raised an eyebrow at her she added: "Abby told me. She said it was about the Reynes case."

"The Reynes-Adams case, by now."

"I see." Long pause. "Did you find something?"

"Maybe. We have two more interrogations tomorrow, at HQ."

She nodded, then they were silent for a while.

"I wanted to call you", Tony finally said. "But I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me."

She shrugged, then nodded. Tony didn't know what to make of it.

"Kate?"

"Hm?"

"I have something to ask, but I don't want you to get angry again."

"What is it?" she asked, and the soft note to her voice made some of his worries disappear.

"Monday evening", he said. "In the break room. What you said to me, I don't … Afterwards I wasn't sure if … Kate, did you mean that you don't want to be with me anymore?"

Kate turned her head to look at him for the first time. It was difficult for Tony to read her expression because he saw so many feelings and all of them at the same time. Then she shook her head and relief washed over him like a wave of warm water.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like that", she said. "I guess I didn't know what I actually wanted to say. But no, I didn't want to make it sound like I was breaking up with you."

Tony nodded, so relieved that he felt his chest was suddenly too small for his heart. But still … "Kate, what was it you wanted to tell me, then?"

She sighed deeply and let her gaze wander down to her hands, which she had folded in her lap. "I tried to say that I need time to find out what it is that you and I have going on. I need to know if it's something real."

"It's real to me", Tony said quietly.

"But look at us", Kate said pleadingly. "During the first month we were living like in some kind of huge bubble. There was only you and me and nothing else. We were together on the job and we were together at home..."

"I liked it that way."

"Me too", she assured him. "Me too. But one day reality was bound to get us. And it did. And I realized that our bubble had burst and now I am trying to find out if we are strong enough to live without its protection. I need to know it."

"I understand", he said. "I think it's quite a metaphor that you are using here, but I understand." He smiled at her, but Kate didn't react.

"Kate?" he tried carefully. "What can we do now? What can _I_ do?"

She didn't answer for such a long time that he started to believe she hadn't heard his question. Then she spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper: "I need some time, Tony. I need you to give me some time."

He swallowed hard. This was not what he had hoped to hear. "I don't understand", he said helplessly. "You said you had to find out things about _us_. I mean, how can you do that – _alone_? Kate? Kate, please look at me!"

Very slowly she lifted her gaze to his face. "I'm sorry", she said. "I know I don't make myself very clear right now. All I know for sure is that I need something to change – I can't put up with the problems at work and at home at the same time."

"What do you want to change?" he asked fearfully.

"The way our relationship is going. I want to be in a relationship with you, Tony, I really do, but the way it is right now makes me feel like drowning. And I can't take it anymore."

At first Tony didn't understand what she was saying. Then he thought about last Sunday when she had come to his apartment late at night and had looked so lost, so desperate. He shivered.

"I don't want you to feel like that", he said. "But I don't know what I can do."

"I told you, Tony, I need time. Time for myself."

"But you said you didn't want to break up with me", he said helplessly.

"I am not breaking up with you." Kate sounded exasperated. "All I'm asking for is a pause – to let me come back to my senses. I'm asking you to do this for me, Tony, please!"

He was quiet for a very long time. He tried to think it all through, but his mind didn't work properly. All that was in there was fear.

"I don't want to lose you", he said.

"I don't want to lose you, either", Kate replied, very softly this time. "But taking a break doesn't mean we can't see each other any more."

"Really?" This time, Tony sounded hopeful. "So 'taking a break' involves spending time with each other?"

"Of course", she whispered.

"What about … cuddling?"

Kate looked at him sternly, then smiled meaningfully and shrugged.

"What about kissing?" Tony asked eagerly.

"Tony!"

"Okay, right, got it." He grinned sheepishly at her.

Kate looked at his face for some seconds, then smiled and slowly got up from the couch. "It is very late", she said.

"Oh … right." Tony hurriedly stood up.

Kate walked him to the door, but before he stepped outside, she touched his arm and he turned towards her again. Slowly, she took a step forward, slid her arms around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Tony's arms went around her on their own accord and he held her as close as he could.

"Is that your answer to the cuddling issue?" he asked.

Kate slapped his shoulder. "Get out now!" she laughed.

Tony pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head then he pulled back. "Goodnight", he whispered, touching her cheek with his right hand. Then he left.

tbc ...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

At 9 a.m. Michael Roholsky, the air-conditioner guy, arrived at NCIS headquarters. He was huge, with unkempt dark hair and tattoos all over his upper arms. Gibbs showed him to the interrogation room where Susannah was already waiting for them because Gibbs wanted to have her there during the interrogation. He felt that a guy like Roholsky might be less cautious in front of a woman.

Tony was watching from the interrogation room. Again he hadn't gotten much sleep during the night and felt very exhausted, but he wasn't sure if it came from lack of sleep or from the feeling of heartbreak that was a stinging pain inside his chest. _She didn't break up with me_, he kept telling himself, but it didn't help much against the feeling of despair that was reigning over his body and mind. At least now the dark hours of the night had passed and he could try to concentrate on something else – the interrogation, for example.

Gibbs and Susannah started with simple questions, like whether he was married, had kids, what kind of job he had at the company. Then they started to ask questions about the job at the base, where one month ago the whole air-conditioning system of the office building Lt. Reynes and Ensign Adams had been working in had needed a maintenance check. Roholsky explained that the check had taken four days and that he had been working in different offices, but didn't remember exactly which ones.

"Maybe you should send your little secretary here to my boss for the papers", he suggested.

"Special Agent Cole" – Gibbs stressed all three words – "already has the necessary papers", he informed Roholsky.

Susannah took the papers out of a folder, placed them on the table in front of her and bent over to read them as if it actually were the first time. "Hmm… Here, the office where Lt. Reynes used to work … yes, I'd say that's your name under the report. Let's check the other …" She bent over another paper, deliberately working slowly and acting like she had difficulty understanding the content of the pages. "Agent Gibbs, this is the other office we asked about, right?"

Gibbs bent over and looked at the page, then smiled at Susannah like one would smile at a first grader who has just read his first entire sentence. "Yes, that's it."

"And again, that's your name on it", Susannah said cheerfully and smiled at Roholsky.

The man leaned forward and two very large tattooed arms were folded on the table. "Now listen here, sweetie", he grumbled. "I've worked in a lot of rooms on that base. So have others. Why don't you go ask them about it?"

Susannah was not impressed. "Because none of the others have a record of … let me think … beating up a stranger at a bar and sending him into a coma, right? And none of them were charged with rape."

The huge hands on the table clenched into fists. "I didn't rape that bitch!" he growled. "She threw herself on me, needed it like a cat in heat. And you look like you need it too, bunny." He stared Susannah straight in the eyes and licked his lips. Then he went on: "And afterwards she tried to charge me for it. Wasn't my fault, eh?"

Staying cool, Susannah took a photograph of Lt. Reynes out of the file and shoved it in Roholsky's direction. "Did you ever see this woman while you were working on the base?"

Roholsky studied the picture, then started to nod. "Yeah, I remember that one. Hot chick. Bit skinny, though."

Susannah let a picture of Laura Adams follow. "What about her?" she asked.

He looked at the new photo, but soon shook his head. "Not my type", he said. "I'm not into brunettes."

"You are aware that we can ask the office staff if anyone ever saw you exchange words with her?" Gibbs asked.

"Why would I care?"

Gibbs leaned back on his chair and looked at the two way mirror behind which Tony was standing. He got the hint and left the room to go check with the base. He sent a picture of Roholsky to Lt.-Com. Ross and asked her to show it to her staff. Ten minutes later she called him back and said that her staff remembered the guy, but nobody had had any problems with him. And nobody remembered him having taken a special interest in Ensign Adams.

Tony went to the interrogation room, looked in through the door and shook his head. Gibbs understood.

"I don't think it was him", Susannah said later when they were all in the bullpen. "He's a pig and I wouldn't put it past him to kill a woman, but I don't think he would have been able to kidnap them without leaving any trace. He's not clever enough for it."

"I think so too", Tony said. "And a guy like Roholsky would never have been content with just keeping a woman for a week without touching her. And Ducky is sure she wasn't raped."

Gibbs nodded his agreement. The guy was ugly, but he didn't fit. "That leaves us to question Charles Riker, the employee of the cafeteria."

Riker was a civilian, tall and skinny, 35 years old, neatly dressed with khakis and a green polo shirt that looked two sizes too big for him. When they had learned that half a year ago a young petty officer had complained about him because he had made a sexual joke in her presence, they had become interested. Riker had apologized to the petty officer and she had accepted, but Tony and Gibbs had talked to the female staff of both offices and had learned that Riker was considered being not what one would call normal around women – or other people in general. According to what the women said, there were days when Riker wouldn't say a word to anyone, but still sent strange looks in the direction of female employees. Then there were other days when he got bold and started chatting up some of the female guests in the cafeteria, which often ended with him making an inadequate statement and the woman walking away.

Tony didn't trust the guy. He was sure Riker hadn't had a girlfriend once in his life and the way the women of the base described him made him suspicious. He was sure that Riker was clever and desperate enough for the crime Lt. Reynes had fallen a victim to.

After some introductory questions Gibbs showed their suspect the picture of Lt. Reynes. Riker cocked his head to one side like a bird that tried to judge the danger of a situation.

"I think I saw her once or twice", he said.

"Did you ever talk to her?"

"Not that I remember. But since she was a guest I guess I might have wished her a good day when she came. That's the job."

"Of course", Gibbs said. "So you never tried to engage her in some small talk? She's a good looking woman. I'd say it's just normal that a man tries to get to know her."

Riker shook his head fiercely. "No, I never talked to her."

"So?" Gibbs frowned slightly. "Then it would be a surprise for you to hear that two of Lt. Reynes' colleagues told us that they were present on three occasions where you asked if you might spend your break at their table?"

Riker's eyes widened.

"And would it surprise you", Tony continued, "that one of the women actually told us that on one of these occasions you told Lt. Reynes that she was pretty?"

"I … I never said that", Riker stuttered.

"Oh … then the officer must be mistaken", Tony said. "Do you know if there's another Charles Riker who fits your description working in the cafeteria?"

"No … er … listen. Maybe I talked to her once or twice, but that doesn't mean anything." He tried to smile, which failed miserably, then rambled on: "She was a nice person, friendly. She always greeted me. She _invited_ me to sit with her. I liked her. We were like … friends. Why wouldn't I tell her she was pretty? They were having some women's talk and asked my opinion, so I told her."

"That was a very nice thing to do", Tony said. "What about her?" He shoved Laura Adams' picture across the table. "Did you tell her she was pretty?"

"No, I didn't, she never …" Riker broke off and looked from Tony to Gibbs, then down on his hands on the table. "I don't know that woman. Was she working at the base too? Who is she?"

"That's Laura", Tony said casually. "Don't you know her? Or maybe you just don't remember. She's the one you asked to call you Charlie three weeks ago."

"What? No, that can't be true. I've never seen this woman before."

"Oh", Tony said in mock surprise. "Gibbs, Laura's friend must have made a mistake there. It can't have been Charlie here who had that conversation with Laura. He doesn't even know her."

"Strange", Gibbs said. "I was also sure she had said Charles Riker."

"There really must be a second guy with that name", Tony mused. "Otherwise I can't think of an explanation why we have three different witnesses who confirm that Charlie Riker talked to Laura Adams each time she came to the cafeteria."

Riker swallowed with visible difficulty. Suddenly his face lit up. "Laura Adams … you were saying?" He bent over the picture of Ensign Adams and studied it for some seconds. Gibbs and Tony exchanged bored looks.

"Ahhhh … now I see." Riker's head came up, revealing a smiling face. "That's Laurie Adams. I didn't recognize her on the picture. Sorry." He chuckled stupidly.

Suddenly, Tony slammed his fist on the table with such force, that Riker jerked back and almost fell over with his chair. "Do you think we are stupid, Charlie?" Tony hissed. "Do you? Because only a complete moron would buy that story." Tony got up and went around the table until he was standing right next to Riker. He grabbed him by the collar of his polo shirt and pulled him closer until their faces were only inches apart. "I have six witnesses who confirm that not only did you know Lt. Reynes and Ensign Adams, but also that you tried to get their private numbers on two occasions – and tried to give them yours on three." Tony let go of Riker's shirt and the man fell back down on his chair. "I want you to tell me where you are keeping Laura Adams", Tony said, the threat evident in his voice.

"I-I d-d-don't know w-w-where Laura Adams is", Riker stuttered. "I swear!"

---

At half past twelve Kate decided to go and see if Tony had time for lunch. She had told him that she still wanted to spend time with him and now she wanted to show him that she had been serious about it. When she reached his table he was dialing a number on his desk phone. He saw her and smiled, signaling her to come closer. So she sat on the edge of the table, facing him, and listened in on his part of the conversation.

"Ms. Maloney?" he said into the receiver. "This is Agent DiNozzo. Ms. Maloney … What? Yeah, right, Sandra. Listen, I've got some news on Laura. … No, not yet, but we have a suspect. … Listen to me. Did Laura ever mention a guy named Charlie Riker who works at the base?" He was silent for some time, then said: "Yes, yes, exactly. He works at the cafeteria. So she did mention him! What exactly did she say?"

Again, he listened for some seconds. While he was intently concentrated on the conversation, he shifted his position a little bit so that his knee was touching Kate's. At first Kate wanted to draw back a little, but then she stayed, enjoying the tingling sensation that ran through her entire body and ended in her fingertips.

"So she thought he was annoying, but didn't feel threatened by him?" Tony asked. "No, don't be sorry … you already helped us a lot. … Yes, I am sure there is still hope. … You don't have to thank me. … Yes, we are going to find her. I will call you as soon as I have any news. Bye."

He put the receiver down and looked up at Kate, who immediately broke into a smile. When he saw it, his heart started beating at high speed. So she was not mad at him! He was so glad that she was there that he immediately wanted to reach out and touch her, but he didn't. He even turned a little so that his knee was no longer touching hers.

"That was about the Reynes-Adams case", he said, pointing to the phone. "We finally have a suspect."

"Did he tell you anything?" Kate was at the same time relieved and disappointed at the loss of contact with him, but she tried to keep her voice neutral.

"No, he says it wasn't him. Gibbs is still in interrogation."

"Why are you not with him?"

Tony flinched when she asked him that. "I kinda … lost it in there, so Gibbs sent me out", he admitted.

"Lost it?" Kate frowned. That didn't sound like Tony.

Tony shrugged. "This case …" He sighed. "I already saw Adriana Reynes' brother and boyfriend break down over her death. And now Laura Adams' girlfriend … she's so desperate. I keep telling her not to give up hope and now there finally really is some hope we might find her alive."

"I don't know anything about Laura Adams yet", Kate said. "You never had a chance to tell me about it."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"I came here to ask if you were up for lunch, but I see that you are busy."

"I'm digging up everything I can find about our suspect – Gibbs might need it for the interrogation." Tony looked at her uncomfortably and Kate could see that he was worried. She also knew why.

She smiled at him. "Tony, don't worry. That job needs to be done quickly, I understand that."

"Yeah?"

Kate nodded. "But you _are_ hungry, right?"

"Starving."

"Then what about I go and get us some sandwiches and we eat them here?" she asked.

"That would make you my absolutely most favorite girlfriend", Tony said admiringly.

Kate feigned an angry glare, but then only smiled at him and went to get some lunch.

"And a real sandwich for me, please!" Tony shouted after her. "Not the veggie stuff you eat."

"Hey, I'm the one who gets the lunch, I'm the one who chooses", she said over her shoulder.

When she was gone, Tony sank back in his chair and sighed deeply as he felt all the heavy weight that had seemed to lie on his shoulders over the last 12 hours vanish. The fact that Kate was talking to him in such a friendly and even teasing way gave him back all the hope he had been missing so far. He wished he could have gone to lunch with her, he would have liked to get her outside the office. But he couldn't just leave now, the case needed his attention.

While Kate was gone, Gibbs and Susannah came back from interrogation, both looking very pissed.

"What happened?" Tony asked.

"He asked for a lawyer", Susannah replied.

"Took him quite long to figure out he might need one."

"What have you found?" Gibbs asked.

McGee, who had been working together with Tony, answered: "Some interesting things. Most important, maybe, the fact that Charles Riker is seeing a psychologist on a regular basis. Norfolk Naval Base, as his employer, pays a part of the bill every month, that's why it's in his record."

"We'll have to go and see that doctor", Gibbs said. "What else?"

"No family except for a mother", Tony said. "They have the same address."

"He's living with his mother?" Gibbs asked.

At that moment, Kate returned. "Hi, everybody", she said with a smile and placed a paper bag and two bottles of water on Tony's desk.

Gibbs gave Kate an impatient look that signaled "Would you kindly leave us alone now?" or, more likely "Leave, now!" but Kate ignored it. She took her sandwich out of the bag and sat down on the edge of Tony's desk. He hid a smile by taking a sip from the water bottle and almost choked on it.

"Yes, he's living with his mother", Tony answered with some delay.

"Then we immediately have to talk to her", Susannah said. "The psychologist wouldn't be allowed to tell us anything anyway. Maybe his mother can help."

"You think she's going to turn her son in?" Gibbs asked, still glaring at Kate.

"If he kidnapped Reynes and Adams, it's unlikely his mother knows about it", Tony said. "So maybe she tells us something about him that helps us without her realizing it."

"Good. Cole, McGee, you'll go and talk to the mother."

"I want to go, too", Tony said.

"No. McGee is more the type that nice old ladies trust. You would only remind her of the bullies who made her son's time at high school hell on earth."

Kate desperately tried not to burst out laughing, but failed miserably.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Tony complained.

"Sorry", Kate gasped. "But … he's right, you know?"

At that Susannah, too, started to laugh. Tony was pouting. Gibbs fuming.

Finally Gibbs sent McGee and Susannah away and then left to wait for the lawyer in the interrogation room.

"So … I'd like to hear about your case", Kate said, when she was alone with Tony.

Nodding, Tony took a bite from his sandwich, then started to tell her about Laura Adams. By the time he had brought her up do date they had both finished their lunch.

"And now I'm going to call the psychologist Riker is seeing", he announced.

"The doctor is not going to tell you anything", Kate said. "He is not allowed to."

"And still I have to try", Tony sighed.

Kate had been right. The psychologist, a doctor Angela Bassett, was not very pleased at Tony's request. She lectured him about professional secrecy and informed him that without the patient's consent she was not going to tell him anything. But when Tony told her that he was actually investigating a case of murder, she calmed down a little and told him that if they needed help, she was willing to come and talk to Charles Riker. So Tony thanked her and said that he would call again, then he went into observation and watched the interrogation with the now present lawyer. But there was not much to observe, because after only five minutes the lawyer informed Gibbs that his client was not going to say anymore.

Tony swore under his breath. If they were not allowed to question Charles Riker anymore and couldn't force a confession, they would have to find physical evidence or witness reports that linked him to the murder or kidnappings. And time was running up. Adriana Reynes had been killed seven days after her disappearance. Laura Adams had gone missing on Sunday, today was Thursday. They had only three more days to find her. If Riker really was the killer and they had to let him go because of lack of evidence, he would get a chance to go and finish Laura Adams off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Charles Riker's mother was a nice lady in her mid-sixties. When she opened the door for McGee and Susannah she was wearing a green apron, and traces of powder on the fabric and on her hands suggested that they had disturbed her while she was baking.

"Mrs. Riker, I am Agent Susannah Cole, this is Agent McGee, NCIS", Susannah introduced them. "We are very sorry to disturb you, but if you had some time to spare we'd like to talk to you about your son."

"NCIS?" the woman asked wearily. "That's where Charlie had to go today, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am. Two women who worked at Norfolk Naval Base have disappeared recently and we have talked to your son this morning to find out if he knew anything about them."

"Oh, I see", Mrs. Riker sighed. "That's typical."

"Sorry, ma'am, but … what's typical?" McGee asked.

The woman let them enter and showed them to a very over decorated living room where she offered them the couch to sit on.

"What's typical, ma'am?" McGee repeated his question.

"That you suspect my son. There are so many people working on that base, but of course you pick one who can't defend himself because of his … weakness."

"I don't understand", McGee said. "What weakness?"

"But isn't that the reason you talked to my son? He has this personality disorder that sometimes makes him act strangely. Socializing is a big problem for him, but he's not dangerous."

"Mrs. Riker, we don't know if your son has anything to do with the women who disappeared", Susannah assured her. "That's why we are here: to find out if you know anything that would clear your son from any suspicion. Because he's refusing to talk to us."

Mrs. Riker sighed, looked from Susannah to McGee and back again, then she asked: "So you don't know about my son's … problem?" Both agents shook their heads, so the mother started to explain: "Charles has always had great difficulty when it came to social contacts. He never had many friends as a child and he never had a girlfriend. Psychologists said that it was a mental disorder, that's why he's seeing a doctor regularly. She's helped him a lot. And since he's working on the naval base, he has actually found some friends."

"That's good to hear", Susannah said. "Everybody should have some friends."

"That's true." Mrs. Riker nodded. "My son is a good person", she said. "You should see how lovingly he decorated his room with pictures of his friends. He tells me stories about them every day."

"Actually, ma'am", McGee said. "I would be very interested to see these pictures. It might help us see other sides of Charles."

Mrs. Riker seemed to be very pleased at McGee's interest in her son – probably she hadn't experienced this interest many times before. So she stood up and led them up a narrow staircase to a closed door right behind the landing. "This is my son's room", she said and opened the door.

The room behind it looked barely inhabited. There was a neatly made bed, a table, a chair and a cupboard. No personal items were lying around, no clothes anywhere. But there really were some pictures. Two of them stood on the table in modest wooden frames, four others decorated the wall. McGee went for the photos and studied them, then froze. He looked at Susannah and pointed at one of the pictures on the table. They exchanged a look.

"These are nice pictures", Susannah said. "Did your son take them?"

"Oh, yes. He has one of those cell phones with a camera in them. He took the pictures on the base."

McGee noticed that all of them must have been taken in the cafeteria. All the persons on them, four men and two women, were engaged in conversations with others, none of them directly looked at the camera. They were all snapshots. The picture that had attracted McGee's attention showed an attractive blond woman in a navy uniform. She was smiling at somebody who was obviously sitting next to her, but didn't appear on the photo.

"Do you know who these people are?" McGee asked.

"Well, my son told me their names, but I don't remember who's who. Only the women, because there's only two of them. The one on the left is called Suzie, the one on the right is Adriana. Charles always speaks very positively of them. I think he likes them very much."

McGee looked at Susannah again. The woman on that photograph was obviously Lt. Reynes. They had phoned the office on the way to Charles Riker's mother and had talked to some of the lieutenant's colleagues again. All the woman who knew Adriana Reynes confirmed that she had been very annoyed by Charles Riker's importunate behavior. There was no way she considered him a friend. And that meant that he should definitely not keep her picture in his room.

"Thank you, Mrs. Riker", McGee said. "This helps us a lot. But I'm afraid we'll have to go now. Would you mind if we called you if we have more questions?"

"Not at all", she said, smiling at them.

The moment Susannah and McGee sat in the car, McGee took out his cell phone and pressed speed dial. "Hello, boss? Yes, we've just finished talking to Mrs. Riker. I think we'll need a search warrant for Charles' room."

---

"A stalker?" Kate asked. It was now 7 p.m. and she was about to leave. She had walked over to Tony's desk to say goodbye and he had told her about the things they had found while searching Charles Riker's room. More photos had cropped up inside a small box hidden in one of the drawers of his cupboard. Inside the box were more pictures of Adriana Reynes and an elastic hair band on which Abby had found a blond hair. If this hair proved to be Adriana Reynes', they had enough to arrest the guy.

"He must have been after her for weeks", Tony said. "All the photographs…"

"That would explain how he knew when her boyfriend was going to be out of town."

Tony nodded.

"And no signs of Laura Adams?" Kate asked.

"No. He has no pictures of her. But the pictures we found are enough to keep him under arrest overnight. Tomorrow his psychologist is going to come and talk to him. And then, hopefully, Abby will have the DNA analysis of the hair ready. We need it to put him behind bars."

"So you are sure it was him?" Kate asked.

"Of course!" Tony looked at her in confusion. "How could it not be him?"

Kate only shrugged. In her mind she was comparing the suspect to the profile she had put together out of what Tony had told her. He didn't fit in. But a profile was not a guarantee for anything and if the evidence pointed to Charles Riker …

"Is Gibbs still interrogating him?" Kate asked.

Tony nodded. "After what we found in his room, his lawyer couldn't refuse anymore. Now Gibbs is trying to convince Riker to tell us where he's hiding Laura Adams. But he still claims he doesn't have her."

"Did his mother know about a place where he might be hiding her?"

"No. But she is not very cooperative. Still claims he's innocent."

"Are you going to stay here?" Kate asked.

"For as long as the interrogation takes."

"Did Gibbs ask you to stay?"

"No. But when Riker starts talking – and at some point he will – I want to be the one to call Sandra Maloney."

"Ensign Adams' girlfriend?"

Leaning back on his chair, Tony looked up at Kate who was sitting on his desk facing him.

"Why is she so important to you?" Kate asked. "I mean, we had other abductions and distressed family members before, but you never let it get so close to you."

"I'm not sure", Tony sighed. "But, maybe, then, I couldn't imagine so well what they were going through. Now I can."

"Why?" Kate asked softly.

Tony hesitated. This was something he had never talked to her about. But how else could he explain what he was feeling when he thought of Sandra Maloney?

Slowly he stood up and sat down on the desk next to Kate. He lifted one hand to her head and stroked back the hair over her left ear, where the scar was. It was no more than a fine line, almost invisible, yet he could feel it when he ran his fingers over it. This was where Ari's bullet had grazed her, up on the rooftop. It had only scratched her skin, but Kate had tumbled backwards and fallen to the ground. Tony had seen her head jerk backwards and in this fraction of a second he had been sure that she was dead. It hadn't lasted longer than the blink of an eye, before he had seen her move, had realized that she was alive, but he remembered that moment like it had lasted for an eternity. They hadn't been together, then, but when he saw Kate fall, Tony had experienced a horror until then unknown to him.

"Tony …?" Kate was irritated because he didn't speak anymore.

Tony smiled apologetically at her. "I still dream about that day sometimes", he said. "The day Ari almost killed you." Kate signaled him with a nod that she understood what he was talking about.

"But in my dreams", Tony went on, "you don't stand up again. In those dreams, Kate, you die. And I kneel down next to you and say your name, but you don't hear me. And then I know that I've lost you. And the pain that I feel then, that pain is unbearable. If we don't find Laura Adams in time, I know I will see this pain on Sandra Maloney's face – I couldn't bear it."

Kate felt tears in her eyes when she looked at Tony. What he had just said was one of the saddest, yet sweetest things she had ever heard. Without consciously thinking about it, her hand reached for his and squeezed his fingers tightly. "You never told me about these dreams", she whispered.

Tony only shrugged. Then he bent over and pressed a chaste kiss to her head, right on the scar over her ear.

Gibbs had witnessed the last bit of conversation that was exchanged between his agents – no, his agent and his ex-agent – and saw the demonstration of affection that followed it. The more he got to see into the relationship of these two, the more it surprised him. At first he hadn't been sure, but now he knew that Caitlin Todd had really managed to make Tony DiNozzo fall in love – hard. He smiled inwardly at the thought that even at his age he still witnessed things he would never have thought possible.

"You two", he barked, reaching his table and dropping the file onto it.

Tony and Kate jerked apart, but Tony didn't let go of Kate's hand, whose fingers were laced with his.

"Go home", Gibbs told them. "Both of you."

"No, boss, I'm staying until that scumbag starts to talk", Tony said.

"Not today, DiNozzo. Interrogation's over."

"What? Why?"

"Lawyer intervened. And I can't put enough pressure on the scumbag as long as Abby doesn't get the DNA results."

"Sonovabitch", Tony swore. "But we can't just postpone everything until tomorrow. Laura Adams is still out there."

"I know", Gibbs said. "But there's nothing we can do now. And we can be reasonably sure that she is safe and not hurt." Gibbs nodded in Kate's direction. "Take him home", he told her.

Tony didn't protest anymore. He understood that there was nothing he could do right now, and that he would be of more use tomorrow if he slept for some hours. So he followed Kate to the elevators.

In the parking lot they stood near Tony's car and looked at each other in silence for a while. Tony couldn't rip his thoughts away from the moment they had shared back in the office. Right now there was nothing he wanted more than to take Kate home with him and continue where they'd left off before. But that would go against her wish not to continue with their relationship where they had left it – it wouldn't be wise to suggest that she come home with him. Or was it possible that she had changed her mind by now? What spoke against dinner and a movie and seeing where the evening would take them? He just couldn't say goodbye to her now. Impossible. So he gathered all his courage and asked, "Are you up for takeout and a movie at my place?"

Kate shook her head. "Sorry, Tony, but I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"You know why!" she replied.

Tony shook his head and sighed. "I'm not going to try anything, Kate, I swear. I only want to spend some time with you. You said that spending time with each other was okay."

"Yes, but I know where an evening on your couch will lead us. It always ends the same way."

"Would that be such a terrible thing?" Tony asked, sounding hurt. "You never complained before."

Kate glared at him. "Don't you understand what sense there is behind the break I asked from you? Want some advice? Use the time to prove to me that our relationship means more to you than what's in the bedroom!"

"Now you're being unfair!" Tony exclaimed. "You know that that's not what I'm thinking."

"Do I?" she asked pointedly. "You're not giving me a lot of good reasons to believe it!"

"Kate …"

"Good night, Tony", she said harshly, then she turned around and rushed over to her car.

---

Tony was early for work the next morning. He was getting accustomed to not sleeping during the night. Also to the tight knot his stomach had turned into and the stinging pain in his chest. He was so exhausted, he just couldn't take any more thinking about Kate and him. He needed some work to do to keep his mind away from her, otherwise he would just break down.

At the HQ he didn't even bother to go up into the bullpen first, but went straight for Abby's lab.

Abby was in the middle of her morning routine including a Caf-Pow and very loud music. When Tony had made himself heard, she sent her brightest smile his way and went to turn down the volume.

"Do you have the results?" he asked immediately. He needed to know if the hair on the elastic band was in deed one of Lt. Reynes'.

"And a good morning to you too!" Abby said.

"I'm sorry, Abs", Tony said, sighing. "Good morning. But this is really, really, really important. Do you have the results?"

Abby nodded, looking at him worriedly. "Are you alright", she asked.

When he only nodded and made an impatient gesture with his hand, she shrugged and went to get some papers. "The hair's a match to Adriana Reynes", she said without one of her usual introductions.

"Oh my god, that bastard really did it!" Tony exclaimed.

Abby handed him the results from the test. "You know, that still only links him to one of your cases."

"This is our guy", Tony said. "And he's going to tell me where Laura Adams is today or I swear I will skin him alive."

"Whoa, Tony, easy! What's the matter with you?"

"Why?" Tony asked. He was already on his way out.

"Never mind", Abby sighed and turned her music back on. During the past week she had gotten used to seeing either Kate or Tony upset and sad. She hated the idea that the two were having problems, but she couldn't do anything to help them as long as they weren't willing to talk about it. Also she was having the feeling that this time they needed to sort things out between them, without help. Hopefully they'd come to their senses soon.

At 8:30 a.m. the psychologist, Angela Bassett, arrived and asked to speak with her patient in private. She said that she would try and find out everything she could. So they let her go into the interrogation room to Riker, but stayed in the observation room to watch.

Their suspect seemed to be relieved to see his psychologist and immediately started to bombard her with claims of his innocence. It took a while until she managed to calm him down and started asking serious questions. She wanted to know of what kind his relationship to Adriana Reynes had been. He repeated that they had been friends. She asked about the elastic hair band. He said she had lost it and he had waited for a chance to give it back to her. Then she started asking questions about Laura Adams. The suspect revealed nothing that was of use.

After about half an hour, Dr. Bassett left the room and the whole team went to sit with her in the bullpen.

"What do you make of him?" Tony asked.

"You are not going to like what I have to say", Dr. Bassett answered.

"What? Why?"

"Because I believe that he's innocent.

The whole team stared at her in disbelief and she smiled at them patiently. "My patient is delusional when it comes to the nature of his relationships with the people in his environment", she explained. "He would without doubt gladly tell you the names of his three best friends, who, if you ask them, will hardly recall ever having talked to him. In his mind, relationships develop that are completely inexistent for the rest of the world. But he believes in them."

"And he does believe that Adriana Reynes was some kind of girlfriend of his", Gibbs stated.

"Without doubt." Dr. Bassett nodded, then went on, "You see, Charles Riker is a strange man to be with, but he is friendly and has never shown any inclination to violent behavior. The pictures you found in his room are a proof for the fantasy world he is living in, but they don't proof that he hurt that woman."

"What about the hairband?"

"He might as well just have picked it up from the floor in the cafeteria", Dr. Bassett said. "Look, I know this is hard to believe for you, but I really think that you are after the wrong person."

"We appreciate your help here", Gibbs said. "But we have to base our investigation on facts and fact is that this man had pictures and personal items of a murdered woman in his room. We can't let him go based only on your judgment."

"I understand", she said pointedly, then stood up. "So I assume you don't need my assistance any longer. Have a good day." And with that she left.

Gibbs and Susannah spent the rest of the day in interrogation with the suspect, while Tony and McGee tried to dig up every detail about the man's life. They were particularly looking for places where the guy might have hidden his victims, but didn't find anything. Tony felt his frustration grow from minute to minute. What was he supposed to do?

tbc...

* * *

_A/N: Did you like it or are you getting bored with the case? Please leave a review to tell me._


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

Saturday was when the rain started. It fell in heavy, cold drops, soaking everything it hit within seconds, bathing the city in a grey and cold atmosphere. Tony shuddered when he looked out his window in the morning. The weather matched his mood.

Kate refused to talk to him. When he had met her in the office yesterday she had turned around and walked away, leaving Tony standing there like a complete idiot. By now he was no longer sure if the break she had requested in their relationship still was only a break. What difference was there between breaking up and taking some time off if also the latter meant that no words were exchanged anymore? When he thought of Kate – which he did twenty-four hours a day – a feeling of utter helplessness made his body go numb. There was nothing he could do. He knew that no matter what he tried now, he would only make it worse. She had made clear that she didn't want to see him right now and this time he would respect her wishes.

Which left only working on the case to keep him from going insane. But it didn't help much. Riker was not talking so they were still not closer to finding Laura Adams than they had been on Tuesday. But he was officially under arrest now, which gave them more time to do their job. Not all the time in the world though, because judging by the state of poor nutrition Adriana Reynes had been in, it was very likely that also Laura Adams had been deprived of food. But starving was a very slow process, the greater danger was for her to die with thirst. As long as Charles Riker was under arrest, he couldn't get to his victim and couldn't give her water. _How long can you live without water?_ Tony mused. _Three days perhaps?_

Sighing, he rested his forehead against the cool glass of the window. What he was feeling for Laura Adams went beyond worry. Why did this case get so close to him? He knew he should call Sandra Maloney to keep her up to date, but he couldn't bring himself to. All he would be able to tell her was that they still didn't know where her girlfriend was.

A knock on his door brought him out of his reverie. Could that be …? No. But maybe … Within seconds he was at the door and opened it, but it wasn't Kate who was standing in front of him. It was Susannah. Now he remembered that she was supposed to pick him up to go to Norfolk and talk to Charles Riker's mother again. He had completely forgotten about it.

Susannah looked at him questioningly, a dripping umbrella in one hand, a takeaway tray of coffee in the other. "I brought us coffee", she said, smiling at him. "You could at least let me in."

"Sorry", he mumbled, stepping back. He took the coffee from her hands and placed it on the little cupboard next to the door, then he helped her out of her coat. "Please, sit down", he said, gesturing towards the dining table next to the door to the kitchen.

They both sat down and started to sip their coffee in silence.

"I have a plan", Susannah announced.

"Hm?" Tony had some difficulty bringing his thoughts back to her.

"I have a plan", she repeated. "If we want to find out if the Rikers own another building or flat or storage room, we need a plan, because Mrs. Riker is not going to cooperate easily."

Tony nodded. The woman didn't trust them anymore because they had gotten the warrant to search her house. But they needed the information to find out if there was a place where Charles Riker could keep a woman hidden for a week.

"And what do you want to tell her?" Tony asked.

"I will tell you about it on our way there", she said. "We should get going anyway."

"Sure", Tony sighed, but didn't move.

"Tony?" Susannah asked softly. "I know this is none of my business and you really don't have to tell me, but … if there's something you want to talk about …"

Tony smiled at her, really thankful for the gesture. "I appreciate your concern", he said. "I have some problems with my girlfriend, but I don't think I can talk about it yet – I haven't even figured it out myself."

"I understand", she said sympathetically. "But still, if you want to talk, some day, you can come to me."

"Thank you." They smiled at each other for some seconds, then Tony stood up. "Let's go."

---

On their long ride to Norfolk they discussed details of the case and Susannah explained how she was going to get Mrs. Riker to talk to them. Tony liked the idea. Susannah also told a little bit about her past and Tony added some stories taken from his life. In the rest of the time they listened to the radio.

Also in Norfolk it was raining, but not as heavily as in Washington. Tony parked in front of the Rikers' house, got out of the car and opened an umbrella, then went around to the passenger's side and held the umbrella over Susannah while she got out.

"Thanks", she said and sent him a warm smile. "Are you ready for our plan?"

He nodded. "If this works, I will invite you for lunch today."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

Mrs. Riker answered the door and looked at the two people questioningly. Then she seemed to remember something, because her gaze locked on Susannah and her eyes went cold. She was about to slam the door shut in front of them, but Susannah intervened.

"Ma'am, I can perfectly understand that you don't want to talk to us, but you should consider that you could help your son with it."

"How?" she asked wearily.

Under her eyelashes Susannah sent a meaningful look to Tony and hoped that Mrs. Riker noticed it. When Susannah spoke again she did it silently, carefully: "Not all of us are convinced that your son is guilty."

Mrs. Riker's eyes narrowed, while she let her gaze wander between Tony and Susannah.

"You can come in", she finally said to Susannah. "But only you. I want your colleague to stay in the car."

"No", Tony said immediately, but Susannah only pushed past him and entered.

"Thank you, Mrs. Riker", she said, and the door closed into Tony's face.

Tony returned to the car and turned the radio on.

Half an hour later Susannah returned. She climbed onto the passenger's seat and brushed a wet strand of hair out of her eyes.

"So?"

She smiled at him and shrugged. "I was shown around the house", she said. "Mrs. Riker was very keen on showing me that it is impossible someone was keeping a woman there. They have an attic full of old furniture and a tiny cellar where they stow food. Both rooms have windows. There's no way someone could have been kept hidden in there."

"She really showed you around?" Tony couldn't believe it.

"I told her it was important that she proved to me that her son didn't have a possibility to hide a woman somewhere." She shrugged, then reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a small key and a piece of paper. "She gave me this."

"What's that?"

"The key to a loaned storage room here in Norfolk. Mrs. Riker says she's keeping some of her husband's personal possessions there. He left the family about twenty years ago."

"Does Charlie have access to this room?"

Susannah nodded, hiding a smile. "Actually, he was very busy last weekend, moving some furniture from the attic to that storage room."

Tony only stared at her. "Last weekend?" he asked. "When Laura Adams disappeared?"

Susannah nodded again. "Coincidence, isn't it? And Mrs. Riker just gave me the permission to enter and search the room."

"Where is that room?"

"I've got the address. Just go ahead."

The room was inside an old warehouse near the base that had been transformed into a huge storage facility. Inside, corridors led into every possible direction, every ten yards there was a door in the side walls. The Riker's key had the number 29 on it. When Tony and Susannah found the room they put on the gloves they had brought and opened the door.

"Hello?" Tony asked.

Susannah found the light switch on the inside and pressed it. A single light bulb under the ceiling illuminated. The room was tiny, dusty and stuffed to the rim. Old furniture covered with bed sheets and huge boxes were standing everywhere, some of the heaps almost touching the ceiling. They soon realized that no one was in there.

"Do you think he could have kept them here?" Susannah asked.

"I don't know."

Susannah realized how disappointed Tony looked. Without doubt had he been sure to find something inside this room – if not Laura Adams in person so at least some kind of proof that she had been here.

"It's possible that he brought them here right after he kidnapped them", she reasoned. "And then he moved them somewhere else."

"Which means this room has to be searched for fingerprints, hair … the whole program."

"We should call the headquarters."

An hour later the whole place was full of people who searched, bagged and catalogued everything they found. At some point Susannah realized that Tony was no longer there. She found him in the car, still parked outside the warehouse, where he stared through the rain spattered windshield.

When she climbed in next to him he didn't even seem to notice her.

"What is it?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I was so sure we would find something."

"We don't know yet if there's anything useful in there."

"I don't think there is. Why would he bring them here? Anybody could have seen him. And other people who have a room in there could have heard Adriana or Laura shout for help."

Susannah was surprised to hear that her colleague called both victims by their first name. Why did he do that?

"What do you think?" he asked suddenly.

"About what?"

"Did he do it? Is he our killer?"

Susannah was a little taken aback by the question. She had thought that Tony was absolutely convinced of Riker's guilt. Slowly, she shook her head. "I'm not so sure", she said.

"What makes you believe he's innocent?"

"Mostly the things the psychologist said. Charles Riker has an illness, a mental disorder. The Psychologist outlined his problems very clearly and there's nothing in his behavior that would point to violence. He lives in his own world. I don't think he would really try to get in closer contact with any of the people he considers his friends because that could destroy his fantasy. And then there is what we know about Adriana Reynes. Why did he starve her? And why would he kill her if he considered her a friend?"

"Maybe she said something; made him angry."

"That's possible", Susannah agreed. She didn't know what else to say.

They were silent for a while. Finally Tony looked over at Susannah and pointed at the warehouse. "Would you mind staying here to see if they find anything? I need to make a visit. I can pick you up again in an hour or so."

"No problem. Where are you going?"

---

Sandra Maloney was already awaiting him because Tony had called her on the way to her house in order not to scare her when a federal agent suddenly stood at her front door. She had pulled her dark hair back in a ponytail. Her face looked pale and thin and there were dark shadows under her eyes. She looked like the ghost of the woman Tony had met on Monday.

He shook her hand and she led him inside. In the living room Tony sat down on the couch, while Sandra took a seat in one of the chairs. A tea pot and two cups were waiting on the coffee table.

"I hope you like tea", Sandra said. "I can't drink coffee because it makes me more nervous – if that is even possible."

"Tea is just fine", Tony assured her. "I hope I am not disturbing you."

"Oh, please, I am thankful for any distraction I get. My friends visit me every day, but they can't be here all the time. And this house is so quiet when you live in it alone."

Tony nodded. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "I came here to talk to you about the recent development of the case", he said. "But I'm afraid there's not much I can say."

Sandra only sighed, as if there was nothing that could affect her anymore. "Didn't you have a suspect?" she asked calmly.

"Yes, we have – or had." Tony shook his head almost apologetically. "There was some evidence that tied him to Adriana Reynes, the first woman that went missing, but we can't find anything that points to Laura. And another problem is that he doesn't fit our profile of the man we're looking for."

"So you think he's innocent?"

"Yes … no …" Tony sighed. "We don't know. I am sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have come. I didn't mean to give you any false hope."

"No, I am grateful you came. I really appreciate your concern", Sandra said. Then there was silence for a while.

"That is a lovely picture", Tony finally said, pointing to a frame on the opposite wall. The picture showed Sandra Maloney and Laura Adams. It was a close up, only showing them from the shoulders upwards. Laura had put an arm around Sandra's shoulders. Their cheeks were touching and they were smiling brightly into the camera.

"It was taken only some months ago", Sandra said, her gaze now fixed on the picture. "My brother is a photographer. He took it when he was here for a visit, then he gave it to us for our anniversary."

"How many years have you been together?" Tony asked, out of sincere interest.

"Three. We met when Laura was still on the academy. I was in a park in the city, sitting under a tree and reading, when suddenly this young woman sat down next to me and started to talk." Sandra shook her head, smiling. "I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. She was unlike any other person I had ever met."

"That is a beautiful story", Tony said.

"For me there was never any doubt that I would spend the rest of my life with her", Sandra said, and now she was fighting back tears. "I never imagined that she could be … simply taken from me."

Tony felt the sadness of that woman like it were his own. He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he knew it was impossible.

"I'm sorry", Sandra said and wiped her eyes. "I've never been of the weepy kind, but …"

"Please", Tony said softly. "It is only natural to cry in such a situation."

Sandra smiled sadly at him. "Are you married?" she asked all of a sudden.

"Me? Uh … no", Tony stuttered.

"But you are with someone?" Sandra assumed.

Tony hesitated, then nodded. "I am. But we have some problems at the moment."

"Why?"

Tony opened his mouth to answer, but had no idea what to tell her. "I don't really know", he said after some seconds. "I think I messed things up. But she can be very complicated too. I guess we make quite a couple."

"Does she make you happy?"

This time, Tony didn't hesitate before answering: "Yes."

"Laura always says that the most important thing in the world is to have someone who makes you happy", Sandra told him. "And you should never take this happiness for granted."

---

He didn't stay much longer with Sandra Maloney. When they said goodbye he promised to call her the moment they got any news. Then he went back to the warehouse to pick Susannah up. She told him that they hadn't found anything obvious, but would all the same run the fingerprints.

Back at the HQ they informed Gibbs about the recent events. They also mentioned that they were starting to believe Riker might be innocent, but Gibbs only grunted. Tony knew that Gibbs also had his doubts, but Riker was everything they had right now. They'd wait until the results for the fingerprints came back. If they were negative they would have to let him go because the pictures and the hairband were not enough to charge him.

By the end of the day the results for the fingerprints came back: negative. They belonged neither to Adriana Reynes, nor to Laura Adams.

"That's it", Gibbs grumbled. "We have no proof against him."

"So we let him go?" McGee asked. They were all in the bullpen where they had been waiting for the results, trying to get some work done in the meantime, but there was little they could do right now.

"We'll have to", Gibbs said.

"But this is the worst time to let him go", Tony said. "Tomorrow is Sunday; one week ago Laura Adams disappeared. If the timeframe is the same as with Adriana Reynes, tomorrow could be the day Laura Adams will die. If we let him go and we are wrong …"

"Calm down, DiNozzo", Gibbs said. "We'll let him out of custody, but we won't let him out of sight."

"Observation?" Tony asked, his face lighting up.

"Yep." Gibbs nodded. "I already arranged for an escort back to his house. There, policemen will keep his house under observation. They are under orders to follow him everywhere."

"That might lead us to Laura Adams", McGee said.

"Or prove that he's innocent", Susannah added.

---

When Tony came home that evening, again the empty feeling inside his apartment was almost overwhelming. Today he didn't leave again, but ordered pizza and switched the TV on. He was determined to win the fight against loneliness today. He was not dependant on anyone's company and he would proof it to himself and to her.

Half an hour later he dialed Kate's number. He was pathetic, but what could he do?

She picked up after the third ring. "Tony?" she said.

So she had checked the caller ID, had seen it was him and hadn't decided to let the mailbox pick up. That was good. "Hi, Kate", he said. "How was your day?"

"Okay."

"And how are you?"

"Okay."

"That's good", he said, so glad to hear her voice, but at the same time not sure what to make of her very short answers.

"Is it a problem I called you?" he asked carefully.

There was a long pause after that and he was afraid that she might hang up on him, but then he heard her sigh and say, "No." Then: "Are you okay?"

"Yes … no … I don't know. It was a long day. I visited Sandra Maloney, you know, the girlfriend of the abducted ensign." He wasn't sure why he told her this. Maybe it was because after all, Kate still was his best friend and he really needed to talk about the day's events.

Kate seemed to understand that, because her voice sounded a lot friendlier when she asked: "Did you have news for her?"

"Bad news. We believe now that our suspect is not guilty. And we have no more leads."

"Oh. How did she take it?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't get hysteric, but I know that it's very hard for her. She's still waiting for Laura to return. I didn't want to destroy her last hope, but …"

"You don't believe you'll find her alive?"

"I don't know. I still hope we will, but it's been almost a week."

"I understand. But, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"You really shouldn't let this case get so close to you. It affects your work and in the end you'll only get hurt."

"I know", he sighed. "But I can't help it." He was silent again, listening to her breathing on the other end of the line. "Kate?"

"Yes?"

"I didn't mean to make you angry – again. I'm sorry for what I said – or tried."

"Mhm", she murmured.

He hurried to continue, "You don't have to say anything. You have a right to be angry. I … I only wanted you to know that I'm sorry. And that I miss you."

"Thank you", she whispered.

"Do you … Would it be okay if I called you again tomorrow night? Only to say hi."

"Sure, Tony."

"Okay then, bye."

"Bye."

tbc...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

On Monday it was still raining heavily.

Tony sat at his desk in the bullpen and heard the heavy drops tapping the window. The team on observation duty had just called. Riker had been at home the whole weekend, not once leaving the house. Also on Sunday evening, the time span that was particularly interesting, he had been at home. This morning he had left the house and had driven to the base. Now he was at the cafeteria.

It wasn't him, Tony was sure of that by now. They had spent days interrogating and investigating the wrong suspect and now a week had passed after Laura Adams' abduction and they still hadn't found her. It was frustrating.

At least, Tony had been able to sleep during the last two nights. After his telephone conversation with Kate on Saturday evening he had finally managed to calm down and his overactive thoughts had stopped spinning in his head. Yesterday he had called her again, only to say hi, as he had promised, and the conversation had been light and friendly, easing many of his worries. He felt a lot better by now.

Now, he didn't have much to do. Normally he would have started playing a computer game, but today he didn't. Instead he took access to the files from Norfolk Naval Base and went over them again. He was not sure what he was looking for, but kept going. This way he was busy and didn't have to dread the ringing of his desk phone that might tell him that a female body had been found somewhere in Virginia.

Each time the phone rang, Tony jumped and answered nervously. And each time the call turned out to be harmless. Until that afternoon at three o'clock when Tony had just come back from the break room with a fresh cup of coffee. He heard the phone ring before he reached his desk and hurried over to answer the call.

It was the police station of Gloucester Point, Virginia, and what they had to tell him hit him like a splash of ice cold water.

"Tony, what is it?" McGee asked when he saw that Tony sank down on his chair.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"Went up to see the director", Susannah answered. "Why?"

"That was the police of Gloucester Point. They found a female body in the York River."

---

When they reached the crime scene, Tony had a strange sense of déjà-vu, although the scene was not the same as last time. This time the body hadn't been found near a beach, but on the shore of a river where a couple of rocks had stopped it's passage. The team had to climb through trees and walk over a stretch of gravel, where their shoes already got soaked through. Behind the gravel, the river was flowing at a very high speed, due to the heavy rain of the past two days. Right where the gravel ended, three large rocks stood in the water. Next to those rocks on the gravel lay the body, surrounded by a couple of people, some of them carrying large umbrellas. One of them was Ducky.

Tony felt his heart thump in his chest as he approached the scene. Maybe it wasn't her, maybe it was somebody else, somebody who had drowned in the river. But then he reached Ducky and looked over his shoulder and all his hope faded.

The face had taken similar damage as that of Adriana Reynes, a large wound in the left cheek. Dark strands of hair stuck to her face, covering her pale blue skin and almost black lips. Her eyes were closed. Yet Tony recognized her features from the many pictures he had seen, both in her file and in her home.

"That's her", he said hoarsely.

"I think so too, my dear Tony", Ducky said. "She matches the description precisely."

Tony kneeled down next to the M.E. The body of Laura Adams was naked and the rain fell pitilessly on her body. Tony wished someone would cover her with a blanket or something else.

"What can you tell me, Ducky?" Gibbs asked.

While the M.E. explained that he couldn't make a definite judgment about the ToD, Tony was hardly listening. His thoughts had wandered off to Sandra Maloney who was still at home, waiting for news on her missing girlfriend. She didn't know what had happened yet. He would have to go and inform her. But how was he supposed to tell her? He had told her not to give up hope and now all hope was lost.

When the body had been transported off, Tony stepped up to Gibbs.

"I want to go and talk to the girlfriend", he told his boss. "I need to do it in person."

Tony had taken his own car to go to the crime scene while the others had taken the truck. He had known before that he was going to need it. On the ride to Norfolk he was looking for words that he could use to inform Sandra Maloney about the death of Laura. Words that would describe how sorry he was. There weren't any.

When he was finally standing on the front porch of Sandra Maloney's house and rang the doorbell he was still at a loss as to what to say. And he was terribly afraid of Sandra's reaction.

Then she opened the door, recognized him and opened her mouth to say something. Then she seemed to take something in – maybe it was the look on his face or something about his posture – and her face fell. Two tears rolled down her cheeks. She started to shake her head.

"What happened?" she whispered, her voice barely under control.

"Sandra, I am sorry", he said shakily. "We found her today. It was too late."

"No", she sobbed. She backed away from the door and almost stumbled. Tony quickly reached for her upper arms and held her steady. "I am sorry", he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh Laura", she cried. "Laura." She sank against Tony's chest and started sobbing violently.

Tony put his arms around her back and held her. He understood that in this situation there existed no words that could make any of it even a little bit easier. She had to go through this, grief for the woman she loved and slowly accept that she was not coming back. He could only try to be there for her.

---

Kate was spending the evening at home with a book and some glasses of wine. She didn't know why but she had always liked to drink wine when it was raining. She was sitting on the couch, reading and listening to the sound of the rain which was so loud it covered every other sound that was otherwise typical for evenings in her street. It was so loud that she almost overheard the faint knock on her door. Putting her book aside she got up from the couch and walked to the door to look out of the small window next to it.

"Oh my god", she whispered and quickly opened the door.

Tony was standing on her doorstep, illuminated by the lamp above the door. He was soaking wet. His short hair was plastered to his head, water was running down his face and neck and was dripping from his coat. He didn't even seem to notice it. He just stood there motionless with hanging shoulders and an expression of deep sadness on his face. She also saw that he was shivering violently.

"Tony, what happened?" she exclaimed. She didn't even wait for an answer, but took his hand and pulled him into the house. She unbuttoned his coat and managed with some difficulty to get the wet fabric off his body. But also his shirt and trousers were soaked through. She could see and feel the shivers that ran through his body.

She wanted to go to get a towel, but he caught one of her hands and pulled her towards him. Suddenly one of his hands cupped her cheek and she jumped because his skin was so cold, but she couldn't protest because his lips were already on hers. His tongue parted her lips, seeking access while his hand wandered to the back of her head and fisted in her hair. Kate was shocked by his fierce demeanor and struggled to get away from him. "Tony, stop it, you're hurting me!" she managed to get out.

Immediately he let her go and his hand released her upper arm from the death grip it had kept it in. Kate drew back a few steps, rubbing her skin, watching in shock as Tony weakly sat down on the floor and started to shiver again. It took her a full ten seconds until she realized that he was crying. Then she was by his side in an instant.

"Tony? What is it?" she asked, rubbing his back and shoulders. He was still so cold! "Tony, please, tell me what's wrong. Tony, you're scaring me!"

"She's dead", he whispered. "We found her body today."

At first, Kate didn't understand, but then she realized what he was talking about. "Oh Tony, I'm sorry", she said, softly running her fingers through his wet hair. She could still feel his body shiver violently. Quickly she got up and ran to the bathroom to get a towel. When she returned to the living room, Tony had gotten up from the floor and was now standing in the middle of the room, still dripping.

Kate stroked his cheek before starting to unbutton his shirt. She felt Tony's eyes on her the whole time, but he didn't move or speak. When she had gotten rid of his shirt, she also pulled the white tank top he was wearing over his head and started to rub his hair and upper body dry.

"Have you been standing out in the rain?" she asked.

He nodded. "It felt good", he murmured. "Like washing it all away."

Kate felt a painful sting in her chest when she heard him talk like that. "Tony", she said, deliberately keeping her voice soft and soothing. "What's the matter with you?"

Now he took the towel from her and hung it over a chair behind him to make her stop. He then lifted a hand to her head and stroked her hair. "I had to go and tell Sandra", he said. "I wanted to do it. I didn't want her to get the news from a stranger."

Kate nodded. She understood why he had had to do it. "How did she take it?" she asked, stepping closer to him and putting her palms on his chest, trying to offer some comfort.

"She broke down", he said, sadly shaking his head. "When she saw me she started to cry before I could even say a word. And when I told her what had happened she screamed and cried and there was nothing I could do." She felt him shiver under her hands, but she knew that this time it wasn't because he was cold.

"I called her mother and asked her to come, then I waited with her. I couldn't leave her alone, could I?"

"Of course not", Kate whispered, now resting her cheek against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close. The wet fabric of his jeans started to soak through her sweat pants, but she didn't mind.

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head, then his breath stroked over her hair when he whispered: "Why did this have to happen?" His arms closed tightly around her back. "She loved her so much and now she's dead. That is not fair."

"I know", Kate sighed. "It's terrible."

They remained standing there for a long time, wrapped in each others arms, sharing pain and comfort at the same time. Kate's heart felt sore. She wanted to do everything that was necessary to make Tony feel better, but she also felt hesitant because she didn't know where it was going to end. During the last weeks she had often ended up hurt when she had let all her covers down.

When Tony lifted one hand to her face and made her look at him, she smiled. She accepted the chaste kiss he pressed on her lips, but broke away when he tried to deepen it. Tony didn't seem to mind, though. He put both arms around her shoulders again and kissed her temple.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked. "I could make some tea to warm you up."

"Nuh, I'm good, thanks."

"Okay", she whispered and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He was feeling better, she could have let him go now, but she didn't want to. He swayed her softly as if they were dancing, all the while stroking her hair.

"Kate?" he whispered after a minute or two. "There's a reason why I'm here."

She looked up at him, frowning. "I thought it was because you needed some comfort?"

"That's true", he admitted. "But I also need to tell you something."

"So?"

He lifted both hands to the sides of her neck and ran his thumbs along her jawbone, which made goose bumps rise on Kate's arms. Tony's gaze was locked on hers and he didn't look away when he said: "I love you."

Kate's heart almost skipped a beat, then started to race at high speed. She managed only with great difficulty to get some semblance of control back over her feelings.

"You do?" she whispered. "Really?"

"Of course", he said tenderly, touching his forehead to hers. "And I am terribly sorry I made you wait so long to hear it. I've been an idiot, Kate."

"No", she said immediately. "When I told you I loved you I never meant to force you into something you didn't want. I know it was too early. I'm sorry I was so upset about it."

"You don't understand, Kate. I've been an idiot, because I was in love with you all the time and didn't have the courage to admit it. I kept thinking that once I said it there was no way back. I should have realized sooner that the last thing I want is a way back out of my life with you. I want you in my life, Kate. Please, forgive me if I ever made you doubt that."

Tony was totally taken aback when Kate suddenly buried her face in his chest and started to sob.

"Kate, sweetheart, what is it?" he asked, rubbing her back soothingly. "You're not supposed to cry after that, you know? Hey! It's okay, hush."

"You know what, Tony?" she finally asked, her voice full of tears. "That break in our relationship I asked for – I never wanted that. I was being so stupid. I want to be with you!"

"Oh, Kate", he sighed into her hair. "Do you know you just made me the happiest man in the world?"

She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears, but smiling all the same. Tony cupped her face with both hands and kissed her almost reverently. That was it. That feeling poems and songs described. In the past he had often thought that poets and song writers were making it all up, but now he knew he had been mistaken. Because Kate was making him feel all of it and Tony couldn't help thinking that never before had he felt so complete.

"Kate", he whispered over the skin of her cheek. "If I ever lost you …"

"You won't lose me", she said soothingly. "Nothing could ever get me away from you."

"Kate …" He whispered her name into her hair, over and over, his hands stroking her back and holding her so close she could hardly breathe, but she didn't mind at all. When he finally loosened his hold on her, she smiled up at him. "Say it again", she whispered.

"What?"

"You know what!"

He grinned, then bent down to whisper in her ear: "I love you, Caitlin Todd."

"And I love you too."

He kissed her just below her left ear and enjoyed the tiny gasp that escaped her. Slowly he placed kisses along her jaw, then took her bottom lip between his and sucked it gently. Kate responded eagerly, her hands caressing the naked skin of his chest and shoulders. She let them wander down to the waistband of his jeans.

"You know, your jeans are still wet", she whispered against his lips.

Tony drew back a little and looked down, then he shot her a disarming smile. "Your pants are also wet", he informed her.

"We can't risk getting ill now, can we?" When he shook his head, she opened his belt and undid the first button of his jeans. "You still feel cold", she said. "But you are lucky."

"Am I?"

She nodded. "You are lucky because I happen to know that the best way to warm up is to share body heat."

"Is that so?" he asked hoarsely, leaning closer and letting his hands wander down her back.

"I can show you if you don't believe it." She smiled innocently at him, while her fingers traced along the inside of his waistband, making him groan. She took that as a yes.

tbc ...

* * *

A/N: That was what you've been waiting for, right? I hope you liked it. Mind leaving a review? Please? 


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed! I hope you didn't believe the story is finished yet; there's still more to come! This chapter is one of my favorites, I hope you like it too!_

**Chapter 14**

When Kate woke up in the morning she kept her eyes closed and sighed in pleasure. She felt Tony's body all around her. One of his arms was wrapped tightly around her waist and held her against him so that her back was pressed against his chest and stomach. His breath tickled her neck. It felt so good that she had no idea how she was supposed to get out of bed today.

She opened her eyes slightly to look at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It showed 6:30 in the morning. Thank God, it was early enough to be able to stay in bed at least a little bit longer.

Slowly Kate turned in Tony's arms to face him and was surprised to find him already looking at her. "Hey", she said softly and smiled when he touched his forehead to hers.

"Good morning", he whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. But it wasn't so much the sleep which made last night so … interesting."

A broad smile appeared on Tony's face. One of his hands came up to cup her cheek and his thumb gently touched her bottom lip. "Wasn't it?" he teased. Then he leaned closer and touched his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. When they broke it, the loss of contact almost caused physical pain to Kate, so she quickly leaned forward again and captured Tony's lips once more.

"God, I hated waking up without you", Tony whispered, gently nibbling her earlobe. He kissed the sensitive skin under her ear, then slowly worked his way down to her shoulder. He loved the scent and taste of her skin in the morning and the soft sounds she made. Her responding kisses and her hands on his body made him shiver.

When one of his hands ran down her body and traced a feathery light path over her stomach, Kate giggled and started to squirm under his hands. "That tickles", she squealed. But Tony only chuckled and continued what he was doing. "Stop it!" Kate gasped and turned away from him, but Tony caught her around the waist and pulled her to him so that her back was pressed against his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" he teased her. Now his hands stroked her skin soothingly and he felt her shudder when he kissed the back of her neck. His hands wandered down her body again, stroking her lower abdomen and her thighs. Soon she was becoming restless and started to squirm again. She wanted to turn, but Tony didn't let her, securing her with one arm around her waist and kissing the soft skin between her shoulder blades. "Stay where you are", he whispered into her hair. "I've got you right where I wanted you."

Kate turned her head and Tony bent over her to kiss her lips.

"Tony?" she cooed seductively.

"Yes, my love?"

"What would you say if we took this to the shower?"

"Hm…" He breathed down the side of her neck, making her shudder again. "Sounds good."

---

When Kate had finished her make-up and had dried her hair Tony was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She sneaked up to him while he was standing in front of the stove and closed her arms around his waist.

"I see it, but I don't believe it", she said, rising on her toes to look over his shoulders. "Are you making pancakes?"

"Yep. Is that such a big surprise?"

"You've never made pancakes before. You've toasted bagels – and toast – made eggs, but pancakes …"

"Only the best for my favorite girl." He sent her a charming smile over his shoulder. "It has stopped raining", he said then, nodding towards the window.

Resting her cheek on his shoulder she looked out into the early sunshine. The grass and leaves were still wet and the tiny drops of water were glistening in the light. What a beautiful day!

"You want some coffee?" Tony asked indicating the freshly brewed pot.

"Aw! You really are the best." Kate took a cup from the drying rack and filled it. Then she sat on the counter and watched Tony flip the pancakes and then pile them up on a plate.

When he was finished he turned off the oven and put the pan aside. He carried the plate with the pancakes over to the kitchen table then came back and stepped between Kate's knees. She set the cup down and slowly snaked her arms around Tony's neck. Since she was sitting on the counter she was higher up than he was and took advantage of it by kissing the tip of his nose before laying her lips on his. She brushed her tongue over his lips teasingly, but drew back when he started to respond.

"Tease!" he exclaimed. "Do you seriously believe you'll get away with that?" Saying that, he placed both his hands on her waist and looked at her threateningly.

"Tony, don't you dare!" she hissed, but then shrieked when he started tickling her.

They ended up on the kitchen floor, both laughing so hard that they couldn't get up anymore.

"Truce", Tony finally gasped.

Kate, who was efficiently pinned to the floor under his weight, held up both hands in front of her. "Accepted."

"We have to seal it", he said, slowly touching his forehead to hers.

"Of course we do", she whispered, catching his lips with hers.

---

They managed not to be much too late for work. Gibbs answered Tony's mumbled apology with an angry glare, which Tony chose to ignore.

"How did Sandra Maloney take the bad news?" Susannah asked when he had sat down.

"Not good", Tony sighed. "I had to call her mother to come and look after her. What have we got?"

"Not much", Susannah answered. "Ducky confirmed that the gun was the same caliber as that in the Reynes case. But it was a through and through, so we don't have the bullet. He also confirmed that, like Adriana Reynes, the victim was starved over several days, but otherwise unharmed."

"Nothing under the fingernails? In her hair?"

"If there was anything, the water has washed it all away."

"Damn!" Tony cursed. "And what are we supposed to do now?"

"We need a way to narrow down our search for suspects", Gibbs said.

"Narrow down? From what? Every inhabitant of the state Virginia?"

Gibbs glared at him. "Everyone who is working at the base – since that's the only connection we've got between the two women."

"That's some thousand people!" Tony exclaimed.

"That's why we have to narrow it down!" Gibbs barked.

After that Tony was quiet for some time. Suddenly he had an idea. It would hopefully help them with the case and – very hopefully – help with the other thing that was on Tony's mind. He had to try it.

"Gibbs", he said. "Do you agree that we might be looking for a serial killer?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, then shrugged. "Two victims are not enough to make a serial killer, but it's very likely all the same."

"And you do know that to catch a serial killer profiling has already very often proved to be a highly efficient method?"

Gibbs took his hands away from the keyboard and leaned back on his chair, looking over at Tony. "I see where you are aiming at, DiNozzo", he growled. "It's not going to work."

"This isn't some kind of trick, Gibbs", Tony said agitatedly. "We need help with this case. We have nothing so far. You wouldn't even have to take her back on the team – just let her have a look at the case. If she doesn't find anything – well, then we will be where we are now. But if she can help us …"

Gibbs' expression had changed from disapproving to thoughtful.

"What are you talking about?" Susannah didn't ask the question aloud, but formed the words with her lips. Tony signaled her with one hand to wait. He felt that Gibbs was on the best way to accept his suggestion. They must not disturb his thoughts now.

Finally Gibbs looked back over at Tony, stared at him for some seconds then said: "Get her over here!"

Immediately Tony jumped to his feet and crossed the office within seconds. Kate looked at him questioningly when he appeared in front of her desk. "It's a little early for our first coffee break", she joked.

"You are going to love me", Tony said, grinning widely.

"I thought I'd made clear that I already do?" She smiled sweetly at him.

For a moment, Tony forgot why he had come and only smiled back, but then he remembered and said: "Gibbs wants to see you."

"And that is such a good thing?"

"Oh yes, believe me." He took her hand and pulled her to her feet then bent forward to whisper in her ear, "I've got a plan."

"Wouldn't it be good to inform me about it before I talk to Gibbs?"

"I convinced him that we need help for our case", he whispered, bending a lot closer to her than it would have been necessary. "Profiling help – you understand?"

"And he agreed?" Kate asked incredulously.

"He's desperate. He hates not being able to solve a case. And since we have no hard evidence, we need another approach."

They went to Gibbs together. Tony gentlemanly offered Kate his chair, which he rolled in front of Gibbs' desk, and remained standing beside her while Gibbs looked at her with a stern expression.

"You know about the case we're working on, right?" he finally asked.

Kate nodded. "Tony told me about it. But I don't know the file, of course."

"From what you already know – do you think it would be possible to profile our killer?"

Kate nodded again. She had already thought a lot about the case. "It would be possible", she said. "The profile would not be very precise, but I think that there are some characteristics to your killer that could help you."

"Could you do it while working with Agent Santo's team?"

"No. I'd need to be in on the case. Get a feeling for it. During an investigation there can be details that no one ever mentions in a report, because they don't seem important, but for a profile they can be essential."

Gibbs nodded slowly while considering her words. But then he stood up and walked towards the stairs leading up to the higher level.

"Where are you going?" Tony asked.

"To the director. I'll have to make arrangements to borrow Kate from Agent Santo. And in case you haven't listened: I said borrow. You'll go back to the other team when this is over."

"Understood." Kate nodded.

When he was gone, Tony leaned on the desk in front of Kate and smiled smugly.

"What?" she asked amusedly. She gesticulated in the direction of the director's office, where Gibbs had gone to. "He only borrows me. That means nothing."

"It means he just admitted that he needs you. We can use that against him."

"Oh Tony, now you're sounding like someone who's planning a major military attack."

"You may be laughing now, my love, but I can tell you, you are going to thank me later." He bent down and kissed her forehead before putting his hands on the backrest of her chair and rolling her over to his desk. "Come on, I'll make you familiar with the file."

---

By the end of the day Kate was in on all the details. She'd spent the whole day with the case file, interrogation reports and personal notes of the team. Gibbs had had Tony and McGee transport her desk over from where Agent Santo's team was working to stand between his and Susannah's – which used to be Kate's, but she didn't claim it back. Their part of the office was pretty stuffed now, but Kate used the close proximity to the others to ask all kinds of questions that she didn't find answered in the file.

Each time she asked a question and got an answer, the others wanted to know what this detail told her. And each time Kate said that she couldn't talk about it yet. She needed to have the whole picture in front of her before she could describe it accurately.

When it was time to go home, Gibbs turned in his chair to face Kate. "Is there anything you can tell me yet?" he asked.

"I will give you the preliminary profile tomorrow morning, right after I get here."

"Then why not now?"

"There are some things I still need to think through. Tomorrow morning, 8 o'clock, that's a promise."

Gibbs only sighed and dismissed her with a grumpy nod of his head. Kate looked over at Tony and gave him a questioning look. He nodded in response and they both grabbed their stuff and left the office. They were alone inside the elevator, so Tony snaked one arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "Do you really have to work this evening?" he asked.

"M-hm", she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I wouldn't mind some company." She turned her head to look up at him and smiled.

Tony dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then let her go when the elevator stopped in the basement. They walked out and left the building in the direction of the parking lot.

"I'll go to my apartment and get some clothes", Tony said. "Then I'll do some grocery shopping, come to your place and cook dinner for you."

"Really? You already made breakfast", she reminded him.

"Yes, but you have work to do and I don't. Besides, I like cooking for you."

"If it makes you happy …" Kate let her voice trail off while a wide grin started on her lips. "See you later, then", she said and reached for his hand to squeeze his fingers.

But Tony didn't let her get away so easily. He brought one hand up to the back of her neck and pulled her close for a serious kiss that made her head spin and left a light, floating feeling in her stomach that didn't leave her even when she was already seated in her car.

---

Tony arrived at her house with a sports bag that held his clothes and a huge paper bag full of ingredients, which he put on the kitchen counter.

"What are you going to cook?" Kate asked, trying to look inside the bag, but Tony playfully slapped her fingers away and with both hands on her shoulders he pushed her out of the kitchen.

"You get your work done", he said. "I want to hear your report later."

"Why would I tell you before I tell Gibbs?" she asked from the living room.

"Because you love to discuss ideas", he replied, before starting to unpack the groceries.

Kate sat down in front of the coffee table where she had spread out all the papers she needed. Tony was right. The best ideas always came to her while discussing a problem with somebody and she was already looking forward to discussing the case with him later. She would never tell Tony, of course, but she found the serious federal agent side of him extremely sexy.

For dinner Tony prepared fish with rice and salad and served ice cream with fruit as dessert. It was delicious and Kate told him so more than once.

When they had put their plates into the dishwasher they went to sit on the couch with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. After filling her glass, Tony gestured towards the coffee table, where half of the file was still spread out. "Wanna tell me something about the direction of your thoughts?"

Nodding, Kate took a sip of wine before answering, "Our guy left us very little to work on. His modus operandi is very simple, a shot to the head and then dump the body in a river. The only thing that's really significant is that he keeps the victims for a week before he kills them – and that he doesn't give them any food over several days, but doesn't harm them in any other way."

"Until he kills them."

"Of course." Kate took another sip of wine before shifting closer to Tony and curling up against his side. "He kept both victims for precisely the same time, seven days, so it's obvious that this number is significant. The question is whether the starvation is a side-effect of their imprisonment, or if he actually keeps them for seven days in order to have time to really make them feel the starvation."

"What?" Tony's voice made clear that he hadn't understood a word of what she had just said.

Kate thought for a moment for a better way to put it, then she started to explain: "I mean that in the first scenario – that in which the starvation is due to the imprisonment – there is some exterior reason for not giving them any food. Maybe he's afraid that by entering their cell, or whatever he keeps them in, he might give them an opportunity to overpower him and escape. So he keeps the door locked. Or maybe he keeps them in a place that is hard to reach, but that is not very likely."

"Because it's not logic to keep them for a week if he doesn't have a possibility to see them regularly."

"Exactly. Very good." She padded his hand that was resting on her thigh. "He wouldn't keep them in a place he can't go to whenever he wants."

"And what about the other possibility you mentioned?"

"The other possibility is that not giving them food has a meaning for the killer. He does it because for him the starvation is a necessary part of his method."

"And what could the meaning behind it be?" Tony asked. He was really impressed that after one day Kate had already come up with things that had never occurred to him before.

"That's a very difficult question", she said. "It could be a lot of things. Weaken them both physically and mentally. Torture them. It could be punishment for something. I don't really know."

"So we'll keep the question in mind", Tony said. "What else have you got?"

"I've been thinking a lot about the victims. There's always a reason why a certain person falls victim to a crime. Of course, sometimes they only are at the wrong place at the wrong time, but that's not the case for the victims of a serial killer. He chooses them among hundreds of other people and when we find the reason why he wanted them and no one else, it brings us a lot closer to our killer."

"We know that he must have been watching them over a certain time. He knew where they lived, when they'd be at home alone, how to get inside their homes."

"That's right. And it proofs that he really handpicked the two women. But why?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably. That was exactly the question he had been thinking about ever since the second victim had been abducted. Why these two women?

"We don't know why", he said. "There's not one single connection between Adriana Reynes and Laura Adams – except the place where they were working and that's not enough since there are several thousands of other people working on Norfolk Naval Base."

"It's not a direct connection that we are looking for", Kate said. "But for the killer there is something that makes them similar. It could be something as simple as green eyes or red hair."

"I'm sure it's nothing physical. They didn't resemble each other at all."

Kate nodded, playing with the glass in her hands. "I know. It was only an example. But there must be something."

"But I don't see what it could be", Tony said, shaking his head. "It must be something that's quite obvious with both of them because we are quite sure that the killer didn't know them personally, so he can't have known about some really big secret. But how can it be something obvious if we're unable to find it?"

Kate lifted one hand and started stroking his hair tenderly. She could sense his tenseness in every word he was saying. "It's not obvious", she said. "It needn't even be logic. The fact that some maniac thinks it justifies killing them doesn't mean it makes any sense."

Tony nodded slowly, emptied his glass and put it on the coffee table before leaning back and wrapping both arms around Kate. "What are you going to tell Gibbs?" he asked.

"We are looking for a white male between twenty-five and forty-five. He doesn't have a criminal record and people who know him would even swear that he's not capable of committing a crime. He's a very reliable person, does good work, is thorough and precise. But he doesn't have a lot of contact to other people and no one knows much about him."

"Kate?"

"Yeah?"

Tony put both hands on her shoulders and carefully pushed her away from him to be able to look at her. "How the hell did you find these things out?" he asked incredulously.

Kate only shrugged. "I can tell by the way he abducted them without leaving any trace, also by the fact that he must have followed them for a very long time without them noticing. And he's not a violent person, otherwise he would have hurt them while he kept them imprisoned. There's a lot of other implications. It's psychology. It would take forever to explain it all – that's why people go to college to learn it."

"Very funny", Tony pouted. "Go on."

Kate quickly kissed him on the lips before snuggling up to him once more. "Where was I?"

"Not much contact to other people."

"Right. So let's talk about the way he kills them."

"We already talked about it after Adriana Reynes was found dead", Tony interrupted. "Remember?"

"Yes. I said that a shot to the back of the head is very cold and doesn't point to a crime of passion."

"It's as if the killer didn't have any more interest in his victims and simply wanted to get rid of them", Tony said. "Like an execution: it's something he has to do."

"Right", she nodded. "An execution is punishment for something. That matches what we said about the starvation. Maybe he punishes his victims for something. The starvation is what he does to make them suffer and then he ends it with a clean shot." Kate had lifted her head and was looking at Tony thoughtfully. This possibility hadn't occurred to her before.

"But what did they do wrong?" Tony asked. "Why did he have to punish them?"

"That's the same question we were asking before: How does he choose his victims? What did they do wrong to appear on his radar?" She sighed. "I cannot answer that. I'm sorry."

"But you already did great", Tony said immediately. "Tomorrow you tell the others everything you told me and then we compare your profile to the male staff of the base."

"We will come up with several hundred possibilities", Kate said.

Tony shrugged. "Gibbs asked us to narrow down the suspects. That's what we're doing. And besides, I'm sure that you'll be able to answer the remaining questions very soon. After all you've only spent one day working on the case so far. I really did a great job convincing Gibbs to borrow you from Agent Santo."

"So if I catch your serial killer, you'll take the credit for it?" Kate asked, raising her eyebrows.

Smiling innocently, Tony raised his hands, palms turned upwards. "You only work the case because of my initiative, so I think I earn the credit."

"Tony", Kate said threateningly. "You know, the truce we sealed this morning. Was there a time limit on it?"

"Why?" Tony asked carefully.

"Because …", she said very slowly, pushing him back against the backrest of the couch, straddling his lap in the process, "… I think one of us really needs to be taught some respect!"

* * *

_Tataa! That was fluffier than most things I've written so far. I could get used to it! And nope, story's still not over! But while you're waiting for the update you could review!!!_


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: A great thank you to all those who reviewed!! You are the best audience EVER!!_

**Chapter 15**

The next day Kate presented her preliminary profile to the rest of the team. Right afterwards Gibbs told them to go over the files of all the people they had questioned during their last visit to Norfolk. Last time they had been looking for those with a dark mark in their records, anyone who would be more likely to commit a crime than others. Now they did the exact opposite, looking for all those officers and employees with a clean record, ruling out those who had been admonished for unpunctuality, negligence on the job or inadequate behavior.

"How do they do it?" Tony asked after only one hour.

"Sorry?" Gibbs looked up from the screen.

Tony made an unnerved gesture towards his computer. "How do you keep your record so clean?" he wanted to know. "These people can't possibly have any kind of life outside of the Navy."

"Some people don't find having a life an insurmountable obstacle to doing their jobs properly, DiNozzo", Gibbs replied.

Tony winced and let it go.

"What are we going to do with all these names?" McGee asked.

"We go and talk to their COs, find out if the rest of Kate's profile fits", Gibbs explained. "That should narrow it down some more. Then we'll interrogate them."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. Because this time we know what we are looking for."

Surprised, Kate looked over at Gibbs, but he didn't notice. Had he just admitted that her work was really contributing to the investigation? Feeling a new wave of motivation she settled back to work. She was going through personal records like the others, but she was also thinking about the questions that were still unanswered in her profile. How were the victims chosen? Had the killer known them? If yes, why was it so difficult to find him? If no, how had he found out the things he obviously knew about the women he had murdered? The answer to any of these questions might lead them directly to the killer, but Kate didn't see how she was supposed to answer them.

In the afternoon they arrived at Norfolk and talked to the COs of Adriana Reynes and Laura Adams to find someone who matched the profile of their killer. But they were not lucky in the offices.

"Gibbs", Kate said, after having gone over the list of people they had to question. "I think we should talk to the computer techs next."

"Why?"

"Look at our list", she said, pointing at the paper. "In all other sections we excluded some men because they had been admonished for some thing or other. But hardly any of the computer technicians had even the tiniest stain in their record."

"That's because they're all like McGee", Tony commented.

Kate rolled her eyes at him. "That's not what I meant", she said. "But Gibbs, look. Computer techs usually like to work alone. They are competitive, so they don't socialize among each other. I don't want to use a cliché here, but this one has proven to be correct several times already. And these character traits, working alone, being precise in everything you do, that's exactly what we're looking for."

"There's something else", Susannah added. "Computer techs might also have access to personal information about the staff – through the computers. I mean, e-mails, electronic calendars, …"

"She's right!" McGee exclaimed. "Why haven't we thought of it before? We already know that teams of technicians were working in both offices some weeks ago because of a virus in the system. One of them might have accessed private e-mail-accounts and so found the information he needed about the victims."

They were all silent for some time, processing these new thoughts. They might be on to something here.

"Let's go", Gibbs finally said.

There were 32 computer techs working on the base, 20 of them were men. The section's CO was a Lieutenant Jake Daroe. They had already talked to him the last time they had to do interrogations on the base. From then they knew that four weeks before Adriana Reynes had disappeared, the computers in several offices had been infected with a virus and a lot of computer techs had been working on the problem. They had talked to some of the technicians, but none of them had been suspicious.

Now again they used the list with the names of those six men who had been working in both offices and asked the CO about them.

"They're all very good in their job, they do excellent work", Lt. Daroe said. "Are you really suspecting one of them?"

"We are going to talk to them again", Gibbs said, ignoring the question. "Are all of them in the office right now?"

"All, except for one. Petty Officer Lacey has been ill since Monday."

They used the CO's office to do the interrogations. Gibbs and Tony asked the questions while Kate was watching. In the meantime McGee worked on the computers of Lt. Reynes and Ensign Adams. After the abductions they had brought each of them to NCIS headquarters to search them for suspicious e-mails or other dates that might help them, but hadn't found anything so they had returned them to the base. Now, McGee was looking for signs that someone had taken access to the computers without permission. Susannah helped him.

By the end of the afternoon, Gibbs, Tony and Kate had a problem: all the men fit the profile.

Now they had to check their alibis. There were four different dates for which they needed one – the days of the abductions and the days of the murders – and each of the men had an alibi for at least one of these days. They'd need to verify them, of course.

"McGee, what did you find?" Gibbs asked, as he entered the empty office that McGee was using.

"Ah … not much so far, really", McGee stuttered. "There's nothing on these computers that looks suspicious, but I can't be absolutely sure yet. If it was one of the computer techs, they'd have known exactly what they were doing, so …"

"Take the computers back to HQ", Gibbs sighed. "Ask Abby for help."

He turned to the rest of his team. "We're going home now, but we will be back tomorrow. Susannah and Kate, if the ill Petty Officer hasn't returned to work then, you'll visit him at home. Tony and I are going to do some more interrogations."

---

"I'm glad we didn't have to stay at the base overnight", Kate said when she and Tony entered his apartment. "I hate the staff quarters."

"But tonight I could have kept you company", Tony reminded her. He helped her out of her jacket and hung it up for her.

"Yeah, I'm sure Gibbs would've loved that", she said sarcastically. "No. I absolutely prefer your apartment and your large bed."

"But it would be exciting to sneak through the dark corridors at night, visiting each other in their room."

Kate amusedly watched the dreamy expression on Tony's face. "You do know – right? – that you would have had to share a room with Gibbs? Where's the fun in my sneaking into a room with Gibbs in it?"

"Ugh!" Tony grimaced. "No. Not even I would want that."

Kate laughed and went to Tony, who had slumped down on the couch, and sat down on his lap. She snaked her arms around his shoulders and threaded her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. His arms immediately went around her waist.

"I like coming home from work with you", he said, kissing her neck.

"Me too", she whispered, letting her head roll to one side to make it easier for him to reach her neck.

After some seconds Tony brought his hands up to cup her face and smiled at her. "I've got something for you."

Kate watched him curiously as he shifted his weight to reach into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled something out. He put it in her open hand and she was looking down at a key that was lying innocently on her palm.

"Tony, is that …?"

"A key to my apartment", he said, grinning nervously, then he shrugged. "I was thinking that when we don't get away from work together, I'd really like you to already be here sometimes. You can also have a drawer so you can leave some things here. Only if you want to, of course."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to! Tony, that is so … you are so …" She sighed before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "I don't know what to say", she whispered.

"I always used to have this effect on women", he said coolly. "Why would you be an exception?"

"Oh shut up!" she laughed before leaning in to kiss him on the lips. He responded eagerly, putting his hands on her hips and lifting her up and she reacted by sliding one leg over his thighs and straddling his lap.

When she unbuttoned his shirt and bent down to kiss his shoulders and chest, he moaned deep down in his throat.

"You know, if a drawer is not enough, you could also have a part of the cupboard", he whispered, letting his head fall back against the backrest when she started to kiss his neck.

"You have more clothes than I do", she chuckled, and slowly placed kisses along his jawbone until she reached his ear. "There's no room in your cupboard."

"I'll buy a new one", he said, cupping one of her cheeks with his right hand to bring her face back to his. He touched his forehead to hers, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger. "I want you to feel at home when you're here."

Kate smiled into the kiss they shared. Right now she was happier than she would have ever believed possible. She drew back a little to be able to look at him; then she said: "I would feel at home anywhere as long as you are there with me."

Tony closed his eyes and felt his heart thump heavily against his ribs. Was it possible that he was the luckiest guy in the world? Must be. That was the only explanation why this amazing woman was in his arms and why she was in love with him. Tony was one hundred percent sure that in his whole life he hadn't done anything good enough to make him really earn Kate Todd's love. She was too good for him. But there also was another thing that he knew with absolute certainty: he would do everything in his power to make her happy and to never give her a reason to regret her choice. He wanted to always be the one person who made her feel at home.

Wrapping his arms around her he closed the small distance between them and kissed her, trying to make her feel what he was unable to put into words. He knew she could read it in his touch.

---

The next morning, Kate and Susannah drove to Georgetown together to visit Petty Officer Patrick Lacey, the computer tech who had been sick the day before, while Tony and Gibbs went directly to the naval base to do more interrogations. McGee stayed at the HQ where he and Abby were still working on the computers.

Petty Officer Lacey lived in a small house with a nice garden and a white picket-fence around it.

"I guess it always pays when you work with computers", Susannah said, looking at the house.

Kate smiled at her, then they crossed the garden and rang the doorbell. They waited for some time, but got no answer, so they rang again. When no one answered, Kate tried to look inside the living room through one of the windows, but couldn't see anyone in there. Susannah had backed away from the door to look up at the first floor. When she saw movement out of the corner of an eye she noticed someone standing behind a window, hiding behind the curtains and looking down at her. She thought it was a young woman, but wasn't entirely sure and the person stepped away before she could take a closer look.

"Can you see anything?" Kate asked.

"There's someone at home", Susannah said, returning to the door. This time she knocked. "NCIS! Open the door!"

Ten seconds later, they heard footsteps approach from the inside and the door opened. A short, skinny man in his late twenties was looking at them. His face was pale and there were dark shadows under his eyes, the blond hair was unkempt and he was unshaven.

"Can I help you?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe with one hand while the other still held the handle on the inside, so that he was effectively blocking them out with his body.

Kate felt Susannah stiffen and wasn't really sure herself what to make of the man. "We are Agents Todd and Cole, NCIS", Kate said. "We are looking for Petty Officer Patrick Lacey."

"I am Patrick Lacey", the young man replied, nervously looking from Kate to Susannah and back again.

"We're investigating the murders of two female officers in Norfolk and talked to some of your colleagues yesterday", Kate went on. "But we were told you hadn't been at work the whole week."

"I'm sick", the Petty Officer said defensively.

Kate and Susannah nodded, smiling. They had to admit that the young man really didn't look very healthy.

"Can we come in?" Susannah asked. "We'd like to ask you some questions – only if you feel up to it, of course."

Petty Officer Lacey hesitated visibly, but then he nodded and stepped back to let them in.

The house was a nice place, modern, with a lot of glass and stone. Patrick Lacey led them into the living room and asked them to sit down on the couch – white leather. "Can I offer you something?" he asked. "Tea? Coffee?"

Kate and Susannah shook their heads, not letting the petty officer out of sight. He slowly sat down on the edge of a chair, facing them, smiling not very convincingly.

"Maybe you've heard about the two officers who went missing and were found dead during the last weeks", Susannah started. Petty Officer Lacey nodded. "Did you know one of them?" she went on.

He shook his head, but then he hesitated and said: "I didn't really know them, but I remember having seen one of them while I was working in her office. The second that went missing. I heard on the news that she is dead."

"What about the other officer, Lt. Reynes?", Kate said. "Did you know her?"

"No, I didn't."

"But you were working in her office as well."

"Really? I wasn't aware of that. You see, I work with computers – I don't meet those who normally use them."

Susannah smiled at him, nodding, then she asked: "Petty Officer Lacey, are you at home alone?"

"Yes, I am", he said immediately. "I live alone. There's no one else here."

---

Tony and Gibbs had just finished the first interrogation for the day when Gibbs' cell phone rang. He looked at the display, then accepted the call.

"What is it, McGee?"

"_Boss, we've found something. The computers, both of them, they have a worm on them. It copies data – private e-mails, IMs – and sends it to another computer somewhere on the base._"

"Whose computer?"

"_To find that out, I need to access the computers on the base. I can only say that it's someone in the computer tech section."_

"One of the men we interviewed yesterday?"

"_Possibly. Boss, I'm already on my way._"

"Good. Hurry." Gibbs ended the call.

"What did he find?" Tony asked.

"Somebody had access to our victims' computers, someone in this section."

"So the killer is one of the techs?"

"It looks like it."

---

"Petty Officer Lacey", Susannah said, smiling at him. "I changed my mind. A cup of coffee would be really great."

The petty officer nodded hastily and got up, obviously very relieved to get out of the room for some minutes. When he was gone, Kate leaned over to Susannah and whispered: "What was that about?"

Susannah whispered back: "When we were waiting outside the house, I thought I saw someone behind a window on the first floor. A woman."

"Are you sure?"

"No. I only saw the person for a second. It might also have been the petty officer, but I don't think it was."

"So you're saying there's someone else in the house and he's lying about it?"

Susannah nodded.

"He's definitely hiding something", Kate said quietly. "He's very nervous."

Some minutes later, the petty officer returned with two cups of coffee for Kate and Susannah. He sat down again.

"Do you know if any of your colleagues knew one of the victims?" Kate asked.

The petty officer shrugged. "I don't know", he said. "But it's possible."

"So no one ever talked to you about Lt. Reynes or Ensign Adams?"

"No. Not that I remember."

At that moment a loud thump came from upstairs, as if something had fallen to the ground. Petty Officer Lacey jumped to his feet. "The cat!" he exclaimed. "That was my cat."

"Big cat", Susannah said, exchanging a short look with Kate. They were both alarmed.

"What? No … no. It always climbs on my desk and throws down the lamp. That's what made the noise." The petty officer swallowed with some difficulty. "If you excuse me, I'll just go upstairs to see if everything's alright."

"We'll accompany you", Kate said, smiling, and stood up.

"Ah … no … that's not necessary, really. It will only take a minute."

"But I really like cats", Kate said enthusiastically. "I'd love to see yours."

"That's true", Susannah said. "She has three cats herself."

The petty officer smiled, but it became a grimace. Suddenly, he sat down again. "It's not necessary to go up there now. The lamp falls down twice every day. I'll pick it up later."

"Petty Officer Lacey", Kate said, her voice suddenly as cold as ice. "Come upstairs with us. We'd really like to take a look."

Patrick Lacey was writhing on his chair, but he couldn't refuse Kate's demand. So he stood up and slowly walked towards the stairs. Kate and Susannah followed him, hands hovering over the holsters of their guns.

On the first floor landing, Lacey stopped.

"Where did the sound come from?" Kate asked. "Show us the room."

Slowly, Lacey walked down the short corridor to the left. There were three doors leading off it. The petty officer had almost reached the last one when some floorboards creaked loudly under his steps. Not even one second later a loud bang echoed through the corridor, when something was smashed against the inside of the door. Kate and Susannah drew their guns at precisely the same moment and pointed them at the petty officer and the door he was standing in front of.

"What was that?" Kate yelled at him.

"No …", the petty officer whimpered desperately. "No, you don't understand. She has to stay in there."

Another bang at the door, from fists this time. Then they heard a female voice, pleading, almost crying: "Let me out!"

"Open the door!" Susannah ordered. "Now!"

"No, please! You must not take her away." Petty Officer Lacey was almost crying now.

"I said open the door!" Susannah repeated.

The petty officer gave up. He reached inside the pocket of his jeans and drew out a key that he inserted into the lock. He turned it and opened the door. Someone grabbed the door from the inside and opened it further. They saw a young woman standing in front of them. Her dark hair was greasy and stuck to her face and neck. Her skin was pale, grey almost, and she looked so thin and fragile as if she might break any moment.

"Petty Officer, put your hands on the wall!" Kate yelled. "If you move, I'll shoot."

"What are you doing?" the young woman asked. Her huge eyes looked at the two women in shock.

"Don't worry, Miss", Susannah said softly. "It's over. You're free now."

"No!" Petty Officer Lacey exclaimed. "If you let her go she'll kill herself. Please. Don't let her die."

"I can take care of myself, Pat", the young woman shouted. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Look at you!" he yelled. "You cannot take care of yourself. If mom saw you like this …"

"Oh stop it! Stop telling me what mom would do, you …"

"Stop!" Kate yelled. "Both of you." She took a deep breath. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

"I'm Amanda", the young woman said, taken aback by Kate's harsh tone. "Who are you?"

Kate and Susannah looked at each other. They had no idea what was going on.

"We are federal agents", Susannah answered. "NCIS. Why were you locked inside this room?"

"Because Pat is a bastard", she spat out. "I came here to ask for his help – only some money, that's all I wanted. And he locked me up!"

"You two know each other?"

"She's my sister", Petty Officer Lacey said. "Amanda Lacey, my little sister. And she's a drug addict. I kept her here in order to keep her safe. That's why I didn't go to work. I had to make sure she stays here."

One hour later a social worker had picked up Amanda Lacey and Patrick Lacey was in police custody. Kate and Susannah hadn't been entirely sure what to make of the young petty officer so they had thought it safer to lock him up until they had it all figured out.

After their little adventure they went to Norfolk to tell Gibbs that Patrick Lacey was not the man they were looking for. When they had told their story, Tony burst out laughing. Kate and Susannah both glared at him.

"What's so funny, Tony?" Kate asked. "He kept a woman hidden in his house. It could have been our killer. Oh, stop laughing!"

"This is a brilliant story", Tony gasped, breaking down on his chair.

Kate rolled her eyes and turned to Susannah. "Come on, I need a coffee." The two women turned their backs on the men and walked out of the room. The moment before the door snapped shut behind them, they heard Gibbs' barking laughter join Tony's.

tbc ...


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

McGee was granted access to all the computers in the tech section in order to find out from which computer the worm on Adriana Reynes' and Laura Adams' computers had originated. In the meantime Abby was still at the HQ to search the hard drive of the victims' computers for deleted e-mails. When she had found something, she called Gibbs. Tony was getting the feeling that she was trying to use some kind of reward and punishment method on his boss. She was being really friendly with Gibbs since he had taken Kate back on the team. Tony was sure, if Gibbs decided to send Kate away again, Abby would again ignore him.

Gibbs put Abby on the speaker so that all of them could listen in.

"Okay, guys, as you know, I have already looked at these computers once. So the e-mails I found are not really new, but they are important under a different aspect now."

"Meaning?" Gibbs asked.

"Before, I searched the computer to find an e-mail or message that could have been sent by our killer", Abby explained. "But this time the e-mails help us to see the victims through the killer's eyes. He read these e-mails, so everything that's in them was known to the killer."

"By looking at them we might find the reason why he killed them", Kate concluded.

"Exactly!" Abby cheered.

"And what did you find?" Gibbs asked.

"I was particularly interested in the e-mails that had already been deleted, because I thought those might have been the most secret ones. That's how I found two short e-mails sent by Captain Sandler to Lt. Reynes. In one he tells her that the weekend with her was great. In the other he asks her to come and see him at the lake again."

"So the killer knew she was having an affair", Tony said.

"That's not all", Abby continued. "Lt. Reynes boyfriend was out of town before she disappeared, remember? He sent her two e-mails, one with greetings, the other to tell her how long exactly he would be gone. That's how the killer must have known that she was at home alone."

"What about Laura Adams?" Tony asked.

"There's nothing interesting", Abby said, sounding a bit bored. "She usually got one e-mail a day from the office her girlfriend is working at. Mails from her parents, sisters."

"How did he know her girlfriend was out of town?"

"Oh, that's easy. Ensign Adams got an e-mail from her girlfriend's parents, asking her to accompany their daughter. But she said no, because she had to work on Saturday."

"Send us all the private e-mails you found on the computers", Gibbs said. "The motive must be in there somewhere."

"Gibbs, do you think the affair between Captain Sandler and Lt. Reynes could have been the motive?" Tony asked when they had ended the call.

"I don't know", Gibbs said. "But Ensign Adams didn't have an affair with anyone, so how does she fit in?"

At that moment, the trace of an idea appeared in Kate's head, but it was too imprecise to really catch it. When she tried to concentrate on it, she lost it. _Damn!_ she thought. _What was that?_ It had been important, she had sensed it, but now it was gone. But ideas often came back when you stopped concentrating on them, so she returned her attention to the conversation.

"What's taking McGee so long?" Gibbs asked impatiently. "If he finds the right computer we don't need to think about the motive anymore – we could simply ask our killer."

Gibbs decided not to wait any longer and went down into the tech section where McGee was working on several computers at the same time. The computer techs were all gone, only Lt. Daroe was in the office, watching McGee.

"McGee, report", Gibbs barked.

"Uh … boss, this is … I don't know. This is really strange."

"What kind of a report is that supposed to be?" Gibbs asked impatiently. "What have you found?"

"I found out that the worm that sent the data from the victims' computers cannot be traced back to one of the computers in this section. Every time I narrow it down to one work station and take a closer look at it, it points me to another station. The clue is, that it doesn't only send to one station, but to all of them at once."

"So anyone who works here could access the data?"

"Yes and no. Yes, it is accessible from all the computers, but the data is really difficult to find. I only found it because I knew what I was looking for. So I think that only the person who sent the worm also accessed the data. The others might not even have noticed that there is something on their computers that shouldn't be there. I really have to say, whoever did this, he hid any trace that might lead us to him."

"So you have nothing?"

"I … uh …", McGee stuttered, but then he seemed to remember something. "There is one thing that's really interesting", he said. "The worm I was talking about. It's still sending data."

"From where?" Susannah asked. "We took the victims' computers offline."

"Yes, but there are more than a dozen other computers that are still sending."

"So he infected other computers?" Kate repeated. "Gibbs, the people working with those computers could all be potential victims."

"She's right", McGee nodded.

"Can you find those computers?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm printing the list right now."

The list gave them the locations of the computers, but not the names of the people working on them, so they went from section to section to collect the names. Back in the computer tech section they put together a new list.

"Were all the people you were looking for in their offices?" Gibbs asked.

"One wasn't", Kate said. "A Lt. Cynthia Daroe hasn't come to work today."

"Excuse me, what was that?" The section's CO suddenly appeared behind them and looked over Kate's shoulder at her notes. "Lt. Cynthia Daroe is my wife", he said. "Are you saying that your killer was hacking into her computer?"

"Lieutenant, why hasn't your wife come to work today?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me, would she? We are not living together anymore."

"You're divorced?"

"Not yet. I haven't signed the papers, but she wants me to." The CO sighed sadly.

"Lieutenant, could you call your wife for us?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure, why?"

"She didn't call in sick", Kate said. "We need to know where she is."

The lieutenant nodded and already reached for the nearest desk phone, when suddenly his whole body tensed. "Wait a moment", he said. "Do you think something happened to her?"

"That's what we need to find out", Gibbs said impatiently. "Would you make the call, please?"

The CO dialed and then they waited. He let it ring fifteen times before he gave up. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"McGee, DiNozzo, you'll go to the Lieutenant's place", Gibbs ordered, and they left after writing down the address the CO gave them.

When they were gone, Gibbs, Kate, Susannah and Lt. Daroe sat down at one of the desks. Gibbs made the lieutenant call family members and friends of his wife to find out if anybody knew where she had gone to. No one knew.

"Lieutenant, you said your wife wanted to get divorced", Kate said. "Do you know if she was seeing someone?"

"Yes, she was. That's why she was in such a hurry with those damn papers. You see, her boyfriend has a very good job offer in Britain. He is already there. She also applied for a transfer and all she needs to do before she leaves the country is getting the divorce papers signed."

"Why didn't you sign them?" Kate wanted to know.

"It's stupid, I know. Our marriage was a catastrophe and getting a divorce really is the only option for us. But I was raised in a very religious family, Catholics, you understand? I just can't get the thought out of my head that divorce is a sin."

Kate's eyes widened when she heard him say that. Suddenly the idea that she hadn't been able to catch before reappeared and this time she was able to hold it. Was that the solution?

---

Tony and McGee arrived at the apartment building where Lt. Daroe was living and went up the stairs to the second floor.

"It's over there", McGee said, looking at the numbers on the doors.

They walked down the corridor and stopped in front of number 22 A. McGee knocked. They waited for half a minute, then they knocked again. No answer.

"Wait", Tony suddenly said. "Look." He bent down to have a closer look at the lock. There were scratches all around it. Tony put on gloves in order not to leave fingerprints, put his palm on the door and pushed. The door swung open without resistance.

"The security chain was cut", McGee said, pointing to the one half of the chain that still hung on the wall.

They drew their guns. "NCIS! Come out now!" Tony shouted. He didn't believe that anyone was inside the apartment, but he needed to make sure.

They went inside and secured the rooms one by one. The apartment was empty. Curtains were still closed, the bed was not made. In the bedroom they noticed the strange smell they were already familiar with. Chloroform.

"Damn it!" Tony swore.

Half an hour later the whole team was there. Lt. Jake Daroe accompanied them because after all it was his wife that was missing. He had already called his wife's boyfriend in Britain to find out if she maybe was on her way there. It had been his last hope, but he was disappointed. The boyfriend was shocked to hear that Cynthia was missing and wanted to come to the states.

While the apartment was searched for trace, Kate took her chance to talk to Lt. Daroe. She had some questions she needed to ask to find out if her new theory could be correct.

She led the lieutenant out of the apartment in order not to stand in the way inside. "Lieutenant, do you know if one of the officers in your section knew about the problems you were having with your wife?" she asked. According to her theory, the killer must have known something about the woman before infecting her computer with the worm.

The lieutenant sighed. "Uh … I think the whole section knew about it, why?"

Kate was surprised. She hadn't expected this answer. "How did they find out?"

"Some time ago my wife and I had a very … heated argument in my office. The door was closed, but I'm sure everyone working outside heard us."

"What was the argument about?"

"I had refused to sign the papers, so she came and shouted at me and wanted me to sign them."

"When was that?"

"Wait, today's Thursday … it must have been on Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, last week."

"Okay … Do you know if since that argument any of your techs have been working in your wife's office?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't think so."

Next, Kate went to McGee who was searching the living room for fingerprints.

"McGee, I have a question about the worm the killer uses." She said. "How does it get into the computers? Can you do it without having direct access to the work stations?"

"Absolutely. I think the guy hacked into the computers to infect them. He needn't even leave his office to do it."

"Okay, thanks." Kate sighed. That made the search much more difficult, because they couldn't concentrate on those who had been working in the missing lieutenant's office. Anybody could have done it. But she didn't even know if her theory was correct.

When they had finished searching the apartment, the team met in front of the cars.

"I guess there can be no doubt that it was our killer who took her", McGee said.

Tony agreed. "Yes, but why did he break into the apartment this time? The last two times he didn't have to break the locks. Is he getting careless?"

"What do you think, Kate?" Gibbs asked. "Does it change your profile?"

"Not necessarily", she said. "Maybe this time there was no other way to get inside. He stole the key from Lt. Reynes and he used the surrogate key from Lt. Adams. It's possible that Lt. Daroe was not so careless with her keys, so he had to break in." She was silent for a while, thinking it through again; then she said: "What I find strange is that he risked another abduction even now that we are so close to him."

"He must have known that we would find the worm on the computers and was afraid that we would protect all potential victims", Tony said.

"Yes, of course", Kate agreed. "But that means that continuing with the murders is more important to him than to stay hidden. He risks getting caught because he doesn't want to stop what he's doing."

"And what does this tell you?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"I'm not sure yet", she sighed. "I need to think it through."

"Then think it through on your way back to the base", Gibbs said. "We'll interrogate all the computer techs. Those who don't have an alibi for last night are going to be our prime suspects.

---

That night Kate lay awake for a very long time. They had come back to Washington very late and Kate and Tony had gone to Kate's place. The interrogations had brought up little to nothing. After McGee had confirmed that to infect the computers the killer needn't have been working directly in one of the offices, all the techs became suspects again. And hardly any of them had an alibi for last night. Some said they had been with their girlfriend or wife, but Gibbs said that they could have sneaked out while their partners were sleeping. And all the techs they interrogated admitted that they had heard the argument between Lt. Daroe and his wife one week ago. Kate had asked them about it, because Gibbs and Tony both hadn't thought of the possibility that this argument – or the reason for it – could be the motive. She hadn't told them about her theory yet. She wanted to make sure it was founded before she told them, but how was she going to proof it anyway?

Kate turned around and looked at Tony's sleeping form. She could hardly see him in the darkness, but she heard his breathing, deep and peaceful. Carefully, she reached out one hand and touched his cheek, enjoying the feeling of his stubble under her fingertips. He moved his head and murmured something, then his hand came up and took hers.

"Tony", Kate whispered. She hated having to wake him, but she couldn't wait for the morning to tell him about her theory. She needed to talk about it now. "Tony", she said again. "Wake up."

He groaned and squeezed her fingers, but didn't open his eyes. So she shifted closer to him and kissed his lips, which normally was the best way to wake him. It worked. After some seconds she felt his response. His arms went around her and his lips moved over hers.

"Are you awake now?" she whispered.

"Mhm", he mumbled, shifting his position to be able to kiss her neck.

"Tony, I need to talk to you."

"Hm?" He didn't stop kissing her skin. His hands roamed over her back and he started to roll her over.

"Not this kind of talking", she protested, chuckling. "Tony!"

"Hm?" This time he stopped. He backed away some inches and looked at her. "Sorry, what did you just say?"

Laughing, Kate turned around and switched on the lamp on the bedside table. Tony winced and closed his eyes against the sudden brightness. "What is it?" he groaned.

"I need your help with something", she said.

He started to smile. "Really?" he asked, coming closer again and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Not this kind of help", Kate sighed. "I need to tell you about a new theory. For the profile. The case, remember? Work?"

"Much too late in the night", Tony whined, burying his face in the pillow.

Kate smiled and brought one hand up to his hair to stroke it. "You only have to listen", she whispered, kissing his head. "Please?"

"Shoot", he muttered.

"I think our killer might be a religious fanatic", she said, and suddenly she had his full attention. He lifted his head, leaning on one elbow, and looked at her with big eyes.

"Don't they usually have bombs or something like that?" he asked.

"Not this kind of fanatic", Kate said. "I was rather thinking of Catholicism."

"Why?"

"Because it answers the question for the motive. Lt. Reynes had an affair with a married man. Ensign Adams was a lesbian. Lt. Daroe has a boyfriend even though she's still married. And she wants to get a divorce. All these things are not really uncommon these days. Divorce is legal. And society has come to accept homosexuality. But in the eyes of the Catholic Church they are sins."

Tony let his head fall back onto the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "You could be on to something here", he finally said.

"You think so?" Kate asked excitedly. "Because I think it all fits. Maybe he accidentally found one of Captain Sandler's e-mails on Lt. Reynes' computer. He must have known the captain was married. And Ensign Adams' homosexuality was not a secret. He could have heard about it – even if he was not working in her office. And he heard Mr. and Mrs. Daroe argue over the divorce."

"Okay. But why only punish the women?"

"Because it's Catholicism. It's always the women's fault."

"Good point", Tony agreed.

"And also the starvation is making sense now", Kate continued. "He's not trying to torture them. He forces them to fast."

"Why?"

"I think he wants them to do penance. Make them regret."

"And why does he kill them?"

"Hm." Kate turned onto her stomach and rested her chin on her folded arms. "You're right, that's strange. Normally, if they regret, they would be forgiven in the eyes of the church."

"So maybe they didn't regret."

"Do you think so? I think after one week without food they would say everything he wants just to make it stop." Kate sighed. "But remember when I said that his method is very cold? It's … I don't know how to say it without sounding cruel, but it's also a good way to kill someone without making them suffer."

"So it wasn't punishment."

"Maybe he kills them to keep them from sinning again", Kate said. "They beg for forgiveness and he grants it, that makes them innocent again. But the flesh is weak. The best way to keep them innocent is killing them."

"What kind of logic is that? Killing them in order to save them?"

"I thought your family was catholic too?" Kate asked, sounding surprised.

Tony shrugged. "I never really listened to the priest when I was forced to go to church with my parents."

"Then listen now. For Roman Catholics it is very important to save the immortal soul of a person. We believe in life after death, remember? If a person sins and doesn't ask for forgiveness before they die …"

"Heaven's gates are closed."

Kate rolled her eyes, but continued: "In my opinion, the reasoning of the killer is quite simple. The women sinned, so he offers them an opportunity to make up for it. Then he kills them to save their souls."

Tony came closer, bent over her and pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades. "Did I ever tell you how brilliant you are?" he asked.

"Not today, no." Kate turned to face him and smiled, but it was hesitant.

"What is it?" Tony asked immediately.

"I don't know", she said. "I'm just not sure if I'm right about it. The religious component is nothing that I saw in his way of killing, it's just something that came to me. I could be wrong."

"Sweetheart, what you just said makes more sense than anything else we came up with during this case. You have to tell Gibbs tomorrow. He'll say the same thing."

"You think so?"

Tony brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Yes, I think so", he said and saw Kate's dark eyes shine with happiness when she realized that he really believed in her.

Relieved she sank back onto the pillow and looked up at Tony. "Thank you", she said. "And sorry that I woke you up."

Tony grinned. "I'm not sorry for being awake", he said and kissed her. "But you should know that once awake I'm not going back to sleep before I get what I want."

"And what would that be?" she asked innocently.

"That, my love", he said, leaning closer until their lips were almost touching, "is so much easier to explain if I just show you."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

When Kate arrived at work she was the only person inside the whole building, or so it seemed. No wonder, given that it was only 6 o'clock in the morning. She had had enough of trying to fall asleep while her mind was wide awake and wanted to act. So she had left a note for Tony in order not to worry him and had left for work.

Now she was sitting at her desk. Great. What to do now? She would have liked to check the religious background of the computer techs, but this information could not be found in their personal records. What else could she do?

Suddenly she had an idea. Who said that Adriana Reynes had been the killer's first victim? Serial killers sometimes started with murders that were similar, but not identical with the later series. The killer's modus operandi had already been very efficient in the beginning and hadn't changed, except for the use of chloroform, so it was possible that he had killed somebody else before he had abducted Lt. Reynes. Maybe someone outside of the military.

Kate took access to the police database for Virginia and typed in the keywords 'starvation' and 'gunshot'. She got several hits, but they were mostly poorly nutritioned drug addicts who had been shot. She tried out other keywords, leaving out the starvation, and adding that the victims were shot in the head. Again she got several hits, but none of them fit. Kate sighed. She didn't know what she was supposed to look for. Maybe the killer hadn't started in Virginia, he could have come here recently. But she couldn't search cases in the entire USA, that would take a lifetime.

She already wanted to log out of the system, when she thought of something else. She still wasn't entirely convinced of her own theory. Were murders with religious backgrounds common in the Catholic Church? Maybe the system could help her find out if her theory really was so far fetched. Kate typed in 'homicide' and 'religious background' and waited for the results. There were a lot of them, for quite a variety of different religions. Kate thought about adding 'Catholic', but decided against it because that would rule out those files where the religion was not specified.

Slowly, people started arriving for work. Kate saw them all come, but didn't pay them any attention. She was fascinated and appalled by the cruelty people used in the name of their religion. There was a father who had killed his daughter because she had gotten pregnant. To the police he had justified the crime by saying that she had been lost to the devil. Another man had beaten his wife to death because, if you believed his statement, she had abused the name of Jesus.

It was shortly after 8 o'clock when Kate saw something that made the blood freeze in her veins. It was a case that dated 14 years back. A man called William Donovan had found out that his wife had already been married and gotten divorced before marrying him. He accused her of having deceived him and making him an adulterer. He had locked her up inside the cellar of a hut that he had used to go hunting and had kept her there for seven days without giving her food. On the seventh day he had shot her in the head with a hunting rifle and had dumped her in a small river nearby.

"Oh my god!" Kate exclaimed.

"What is it?" Tony asked. He had just turned the corner, accompanied by Gibbs.

"Here, look at this", Kate said, pointing at the screen. Gibbs and Tony both came over and read the file. McGee and Susannah, who had already been in the office before, also came to have a look.

"That's the same modus operandi as in our case", Kate said, when they had finished. "And here. The guy told the police that he had loved his wife and had tried to safe her. That's exactly my theory!"

"What theory?" Gibbs asked, and Kate realized that she hadn't told him yet. So she explained that their killer might have a religious motivation and that she thought he abducted and killed the women in order to save them in a religious sense of the word.

Gibbs listened to all she had to say, then he pointed to the screen. "And how does this murder from 14 years ago fit in?"

"That's a good question", Kate said. "It can't be the same guy. This one was put into prison and died … four years ago, of cancer."

"Is it possible that this similarity is only a coincidence?" Tony asked.

Kate hesitated, thinking her answer through, before saying: "It's very unlikely. Everything fits."

"Who knew about this murder?" Susannah wanted to know.

"The police officers, the judge and jury and everyone else who had to do with the case. And we don't know what the media brought."

"So there might be a lot of potential copy killers", Gibbs concluded.

"Yes, but don't forget we already narrowed down our list of suspects to those working in the computer tech section on the base", Kate reminded him.

"It should be easy to find out if any of them were in any way involved in that murder case", McGee said. "I'm going down to Abby. She's really good at searching databases." He waited for Gibbs' okay, then he left.

"What about family?" Susannah asked. "Did this William Donovan have any brothers or cousins who could have an interest in continuing what he started?"

"Hm … that's not in the file", Kate said. "It only says that the Donovans had kids, a twelve year old boy and a fourteen year old girl."

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know."

Gibbs had had enough talking and wanted them to start acting: "DiNozzo, you get me a list of all the people working on the case back then; police, courts, media. Cole, Todd, you get me the whole Donovan family. I want grand-parents, siblings, everything there is. And find the children. If there is no family, they probably grew up in foster families."

"What are you doing, boss?" Tony asked.

"I'll get on the phone and check the computer techs' alibis for the nights of the abductions and murders. I want a briefing at noon."

---

At a quarter to twelve Kate went into the break room. Tony watched her go, got up and followed her. Inside the break room he sneaked up behind her and put his hands over her eyes.

"Guess who!" he whispered into her ear.

"McGee, I told you we couldn't do this in the office", Kate said. "Tony might see us."

Tony took his hands away from her eyes, turned her around and put both hands on her shoulders. "Don't you even make jokes about that!" he said threateningly. "That was so not funny!"

Kate grinned and raised on her toes to press a quick kiss on his lips. But he pretended to still be sulking. "It takes more than that to make up for it", he said, pouting. "After all I didn't get my good morning kiss today."

Kate reached for him and laced her fingers at the back of his neck. She pulled him down to her and kissed him thoroughly, making sure that he had no more reasons to complain.

"Oh", he said intelligently when she broke the kiss, and she smiled fondly at him. He looked at her for some seconds, stroking her hair. "Are you okay?" he finally asked.

"Yes, of course. Why are you asking?"

"I was quite surprised when I found your message this morning. When did you leave?"

"Around 5:30, I think. I couldn't sleep and I thought I might as well do something productive with my time."

"There are other productive things one can do during the night", Tony said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Especially when there's a handsome, charming, brilliant man lying in bed next to you."

Kate only looked at him, unimpressed. "Maybe the reason why I couldn't sleep was because I had so little room in bed next to you and your ego", she shot back cheekily.

"That's enough!" Tony exclaimed, grabbing her around the waist, threatening to tickle her. She tried to get away, but he held her tightly and didn't let go.

At that moment the door opened and two agents came in. They stopped dead when they noticed the fight that was going on between Kate and Tony and openly stared at them.

Tony quickly let Kate go. She tucked her hair behind her ears, straightened her blouse and went to get her coffee as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She even smiled at the two other agents. Tony had to hold back a chuckle. He knew Kate didn't like being caught in such moments and admired the act she was now pulling off.

Five minutes later the team met at their desks to bring each other up to date.

After Tony had presented his list, Gibbs addressed the women: "What have you found?"

"William Donovan had no family", Susannah said. "There were only his wife and kids. When their mother was dead and the father in prison, the children were put into a foster home."

"Where are they now?"

"We haven't found out yet. We talked to the social worker who was responsible for them, but she said she needed to have a look at the file first. That was two hours ago. I guess their archiving system is not the most efficient."

"Why do you want to find the children?" Tony asked. "They were only kids when it happened."

"They were twelve and fourteen, Tony", Kate said. "They could know something."

"Not only know", Gibbs said.

Kate looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"The boy was twelve", Gibbs stated. "That's twelve years spent with a religious fanatic as a father."

"You think the boy has something to do with our case? Do you think he is the killer?"

Gibbs nodded. "All parents teach their children what's important to them. And the boy might have been a witness to the death of his mother, so he could know all the details."

"Wait", Tony interrupted. "You think that the boy watched his father kill his mother – his mother! – and today he's doing the same things to other women?"

"Who says he wasn't on the side of his father when it happened?"

Kate wondered if Gibbs was playing the advocatus diaboli here, but she didn't really believe it. Gibbs really suspected the boy. They'd have to find him.

The social worker called them back at 1:30 pm only to tell them that she couldn't give them the information they needed without the proper warrant. But Kate had already thought of that and had prepared the necessary papers, so she arranged a meeting at the social worker's office in Richmond for this afternoon.

She went to the meeting together with Susannah. Mrs. Geraldi, the social worker, an elderly woman with a very stern expression on her face, showed them into a tiny office and politely asked them to sit down on two chairs facing the desk that was too big for the small room.

When they were all seated, Mrs. Geraldi put on the glasses that had been hanging on a chain around her neck and opened the file folder in front of her.

"You told me that you are looking for Elizabeth and Joseph Donovan, who were given into social care fourteen years ago."

"That's correct", Kate said. She handed over the warrant and watched the older woman look at it as if it was something that they had scratched off the highway.

Then she started to speak: "Elizabeth and Joseph Donovan were given into the same foster home. While Elizabeth was a good child that never caused any problems, Joseph didn't accept his new life. He ran away three times. The first and second time, police found him and brought him back. The third time, he vanished."

"For how long?" Susannah asked.

"No one has ever heard of him again", Mrs. Geraldi said sadly.

"What about Elizabeth?" Kate asked. "Where is she now?"

"She's living in Pennsylvania. She's married, got one child of her own. I called her today because I thought that you would want to speak with her. She gave me the permission to give you her address."

---

The house Elizabeth Donovan, now Elizabeth Carter, was living in, was a nice one family house in Harrisburg. It was already after 6 pm when Kate and Susannah got there, but Elizabeth welcomed them very politely all the same. She was a pretty, young woman with red hair and dark blue eyes, the image of her mother, Kate noticed, thinking of the family picture in the file.

They sat down at the kitchen table and Elizabeth made coffee for them. "My husband and son went out for pizza and ice cream", she explained and smiled at them. "I don't want my son to hear about my past – or his grandfather."

"We understand", Kate nodded sympathetically. "It must have been very difficult for you to deal with the tragedy."

"It was hard", Elizabeth nodded. "But I had psychological help and a lot of time. I'm over it now … at least I can talk about it without breaking down."

"What about your brother?" Susannah asked. "How did he come to terms with what happened?"

Elizabeth's expression hardened. "My brother was not a normal boy", she said as if that would explain everything.

"What do you mean with 'not normal'?"

"He had always been very quiet, very standoffish – even before it happened. The only person he was always close to was my father."

Kate and Susannah shared a concerned look. "I'm sorry I have to ask you this, but did you and your brother realize what your father was doing?" Kate asked carefully. "I mean during the week when he held your mother captive."

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before answering: "For me it's difficult to remember what I was feeling or thinking during the seven days prior to my mother's death. I remember having been at home alone, most of the time. Other than my brother I wasn't very close to my father and he didn't take me with him when he left."

"But he took your brother?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Almost every time he left for … for that cabin where he kept her."

"Did your brother ever talk to you about the things he saw during that week?" Susannah wanted to know.

"No. He never talked much about anything. But I think he saw what my father did to her. And I think … I think he approved."

"What makes you think that?"

"It's the way he talked about our parents later." Elizabeth sighed and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her right hand. "He always defended my father and wanted to visit him in prison. The psychologists said that what he must have witnessed in that cabin was so terrible for him that his mind started to mess with his notion of good and evil. He tried to justify what my father did – and what he couldn't prevent from happening – in order not to be swallowed by his guilt."

"That sounds very logic to me", Kate said. "He was only twelve at that time, wasn't he?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"When did he run away?"

"The first time he tried was after some months at the foster home. But they brought him back. He tried again some years later. When he vanished he was sixteen."

"Elizabeth, have you ever heard of him again?" Kate asked.

"No", she said quietly. "Somehow … you know … with all that had happened and his strange behavior … I was glad that he was gone."

"That's understandable", Kate said. "But I have to ask you a favor."

Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows questioningly and Kate went on: "I would like to show you some photographs. Could you look at them and tell us if one of them could be your brother?"

"I don't understand", Elizabeth said. "If you have the pictures, why don't you just ask the people?"

"We think that your brother doesn't want to be identified. At some time in the past he must have adapted a new identity, different name, different age …"

"And it's only photographs?" Elizabeth asked.

Kate nodded. They had already compared the pictures of the computer techs on the base with the last picture that had been taken of Joseph Donovan, but hadn't been able to identify him. Many of the techs were about the same age – the age Joseph Donovan would be in now – and the boy on the picture had no significant features. It was impossible for them to tell what he might look like now.

For several minutes Elizabeth looked intently at the ten pictures they had chosen as the most likely candidates. Finally she looked up, uncertainty showing in her eyes. "I'm not sure", she said. "It's been twelve years since I last saw him." She chose four of the ten pictures and showed them to Kate and Susannah. "If one of those pictures really shows Joseph, it's most likely one of these."

Susannah studied the pictures and quickly wrote down the names of the men on her notepad: George Maccoullough, Jake Oyster, Simon O'Leary and Ethan Spade. They all had dark blond or brown hair and dark eyes.

"But I'm not one hundred percent sure", Elizabeth said.

"That's okay", Kate assured her. "But maybe you would agree to come and see them in person – through a two way mirror, if you want", she quickly added, when she saw the scared expression on Elizabeth's face.

"No", the woman said. "I don't … I'd rather not."

"But they wouldn't see you", Susannah said. "You wouldn't have to talk to one of them and they wouldn't know that you are there."

"No", Elizabeth repeated. "I really don't want to."

"Okay", Kate sighed. "Thanks, anyways, for looking at the pictures."

Elizabeth only shrugged, then she asked: "Why are you looking for my brother?"

"Someone is killing women in Virginia the way your mother was killed", Kate said openly.

"And you believe it could be my brother?" Elizabeth asked.

"We don't know", Kate replied. "But even if it's not him, he might know something about it. He's the only living person who knows what happened fourteen years ago."

---

Back at the HQ – it was now already past 8 pm – Kate and Susannah told the others what Elizabeth Carter had said. When Gibbs heard that the boy might really have witnessed the murder of his mother he was even more convinced that Joseph was their killer. He told his agents to do a background check on all the techs in the section who were between twenty and thirty to find out if one of their identities could be a fake.

Tony looked over at Kate worriedly. She had gotten hardly any sleep last night and now it didn't look like they were going home to get any sleep the following night either.

She noticed his gaze on her and looked at him. When she tilted her head to one side questioningly, Tony smiled at her because he liked it so much when she did that. Kate sent a disarming smile back in his direction that made his insides turn to jelly.

But soon he was jerked out of a very pleasant daydream, including Kate, him and an empty supply closet, by something painfully hitting his head.

"Ouch!" he yelped, looking reproachfully up at Gibbs.

"Stop flirting and get to work!" Gibbs commanded, and Tony obeyed.

They collected all the background information there was on the computer techs, not only the four that Elizabeth Carter had thought could be her brother, but on all of them, because they didn't want to take any risks. They dug up a lot of information, including family, driving licenses, cars and bills running on their names, religious background and everything else that was of any interest. They looked for names that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which would be an indicator that somebody had adapted a new identity. But they found nothing like that. All the names could be traced back to high school, if not even to kindergarten.

"That's just impossible", Tony sighed. It was after 1 o'clock in the morning, he was tired, his back and shoulders hurt like hell and he didn't like the idea that all their research was leading nowhere. How did they know it was really Joseph Donovan they needed to find? If he really was one of the computer techs then how had he changed his name without anyone noticing? Even if he had managed to take on the identity of a real living person – someone who wanted to disappear, just like Joseph, maybe – then why had no family reported a son missing? Because none of the computer techs were orphans, they all had parents or other family members who would have missed them if they suddenly disappeared.

"Gibbs", Tony said. "We have to talk to the families to work this out. And we can't do that during the night."

Gibbs had been sitting at his desk without moving for some minutes already. Now he looked over at Tony and nodded. "You are right. Go home, get some sleep. We'll carry this on in the morning."

This easy acceptance of Tony's words came so unexpectedly that at first Tony believed Gibbs was being sarcastic again. Also the others were looking at Gibbs incredulously, but slowly, one by one, they started to believe that they were really allowed to leave.

"Are you serious, boss?" Tony asked.

"Yeah", Gibbs said. "There's nothing we can do right now. And I don't want a team full of sleep deprived zombies tomorrow, so go home and get a couple of hours of sleep."

Now they believed it. Quickly they collected their belongings and left for the elevators together. On the ride down McGee looked like he had great difficulty keeping his eyes open and Kate had to constantly nudge Tony in the ribs with her elbow to keep him from trying to stick the rubber end of a pencil inside McGee's ears from behind. Finally he gave up and put an arm around Kate's waist. She leaned into him and half closed her eyes. But they had already reached the ground floor and had to get out.

While they were walking to the parking lot, Tony took Kate's hand and laced his fingers with hers. Normally he would have waited until they were inside the car, but he knew that today Kate was too tired to protest.

At the parking lot they said goodnight to Susannah and McGee; then Tony led Kate to his car and leaned against the passenger side door, pulling her close to him. "Let's take my car", he said. "You're tired, I don't want you to drive alone."

"Okay", she whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders and touching her cheek to his. When she closed her eyes they threatened to stay closed.

"Hey, don't fall asleep yet", Tony said tenderly. "Come on." Securing her with one arm around her back he opened the door for her and helped her climb in. When she was seated, he bent over her and kissed her. By the time he had walked around the car and climbed onto the driver's seat she was already half asleep.

He drove to his place because Kate had some clothes there, while he didn't have anything to wear for work at her house. He parked the car, got out and walked to the passenger's side to open the door. Kate was still asleep so he released the security belt, slipped one arm under her knees, the other around her back and lifted her out of the car. One of her arms went around his neck immediately and he felt her warm breath on his neck when her head rolled onto his shoulder.

He entered his apartment with Kate still in his arms. He didn't turn on the lights, he didn't need them. Carefully dropping the keys on the side table, he sat down on the couch, leaned back into the cushions and carefully shifted Kate's weight so that she was resting on his chest. He put one arm around her back while he stroked her hair with the other hand.

Her light weight on his body, her arm around his neck, the feeling of her breath on his skin, it all made something inside of him ache. He couldn't describe it. Knowing that Kate trusted and loved him so much that she let him carry her along the sidewalk and up the stairs to his apartment without even waking up, it was like learning what love was all over again. She was his, here in his arms, sleeping with the trust of a child, and all he wanted to do was protect her and never let anything hurt her.

"What are you doing to me?" he whispered into her hair.

"Hm?" she mumbled, slowly stirring in his arms.

He stroked her hair to bring her back to sleep again, then cradled her in his arms and stood up to walk into the bedroom. When he lay her down onto the bed she was awake and smiled sleepily at him. "Thank you", she whispered.

Stroking back her hair he kissed her forehead and then her lips. "I would do anything for you", he said. "You know that, don't you?"

A small vertical line appeared between Kate's eyebrows as she took in his very serious tone. She brought one hand up to cup his cheek, touching his lower lip with her thumb. "I know", she whispered tenderly, touched by the sincerity of his words. When she reached out to him, he came to her, burying his face in her hair and enveloping her in his embrace. Five minutes later they had both fallen asleep to the sound of each other's breathing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The next morning at the office Gibbs was already awaiting Kate and Tony. When they stepped out of the elevator into the office, Gibbs was standing in front of them and shooed them back into the car. "We're going to Norfolk", he said.

"I thought we had to talk to the families today?" Tony asked.

"McGee and Cole are already on it. We are going to talk to the techs to see what stories they have to tell about their past. Plus, if McGee and Cole find something, we'll be already on site."

"But it's Saturday!"

"The techs we need to talk to have been called in today. Let's go!" The elevator doors opened and Gibbs walked out, throwing the car keys back over his shoulder. Tony reached out to catch them, but Kate was faster and caught them before Tony could. Grinning at him she followed Gibbs to the car.

---

McGee called shortly before they reached the base.

"We've talked to almost all the families by now", he said. "They all said that they are very proud of their sons and are in regular contact with them. No adoptions, as far as we can tell. But there were two families we couldn't reach."

"Who?"

"Well, we tried to reach the parents of Jake Oyster, but the message on the mailbox said that they were on holidays. We also tried an aunt, but nobody was at home. The other tech whose family we couldn't contact was Simon O'Leary. According to the background check his only living relative is his mother, who lives in South Carolina. She has a very long record of driving under the influence of alcohol. She didn't answer the phone, but we're still trying."

Gibbs hung up and explained what McGee and Susannah had found.

"Oh, great", Kate sighed.

"What is it?" Tony wanted to know.

"Elizabeth Carter picked four photographs which she thought might show her brother. Jake Oyster and Simon O'Leary were both among them."

"But only because we can't reach their families right now doesn't necessarily mean that they are who we are looking for", Tony said. "And the fact that on the phone the families said that they have a good relationship to their sons is not really worth much. They could be hiding something. Joseph Donovan might have needed help to get his new identity."

"Help by a family who agreed to let him live under the name of their son? A son who must have been a teenager by the time Joseph Donovan disappeared? How logic is that?"

"I don't know", Tony said sulkily. "But there is something wrong here, I can almost smell it."

At the base they met Lt. Jake Daroe, who was very pale and very glad to see them.

"Do you have any news?" he asked, as soon as they had entered his office. "Do you know where Cynthia might be? I'm almost going crazy knowing that one of my people could be the one who …"

"We are following a lead", Gibbs said. "We need to talk to some of your staff again."

"Of course, whatever you need to do."

Kate was looking at a photograph on the lieutenant's desk, showing his wife, Cynthia, the third abducted woman. Kate already knew the official picture, but this one was different. It had obviously been taken by a professional photographer. The woman on it had curly blond hair and blue eyes. She was smiling, but not enough to show her teeth. She looked like a very calm and tender person.

It all depended on them now. If they didn't find the killer, Cynthia Daroe would be the next body on Ducky's autopsy table.

They talked to Petty Officer Simon O'Leary first. He had dark blond hair and, like all the men on the pictures, very dark eyes. It was difficult to judge his age, but according to his file he was twenty-eight. He was handsome and friendly. They had already talked to him the last time and Kate remembered that he had been very cooperative.

"How can I help you this time?" he asked when he had taken a seat in front of the desk Gibbs and Tony were sitting at. Kate was sitting in one of the corners. She wanted to watch.

"Today we contacted the families of most people working here", Tony explained and then lied: "It's a routine. But we weren't able to get in touch with all of them. Your mother, for example, wasn't at home. Do you know where she might be?"

O'Leary frowned worriedly. "When did you call her?"

"We've tried several times this morning."

"It's possible that she's working", the young man said. "But normally she doesn't work on weekends. Are you sure you had the right number?"

"You sound worried", Gibbs noticed.

O'Leary shifted his weight a little uncomfortably. "You know, my mother used to have some problems", he said. "Problems with alcohol. But it has really improved recently. She has been working in the same job for more than a year now."

"Do you often speak with your mother?"

O'Leary sighed. "No, not so often", he said. "Maybe twice every month."

Gibbs didn't ask another question, only looked at the young man quietly, so the petty officer started to speak again: "You see, our relationship has always been very difficult. My father left when I was still a baby and my mother couldn't handle the situation. She started drinking – a lot. When I grew up I got used to being left at home alone, for days sometimes. It's really a miracle that no social worker ever showed up. As a teenager I couldn't take it anymore. I left home when I was eighteen and joined the navy so I could get a decent education."

They asked some more questions about his family and friends before letting him go back to work. The petty officer was already at the door when he turned around again and said: "Would you mind informing me when you've reached my mother? I'd like to know if everything's alright."

"Of course", Gibbs nodded.

They talked to Petty Officer Jake Oyster next, another young man with dark hair and eyes. According to his file he was twenty-seven, but he looked younger.

"My parents?" he asked when they had explained why they wanted to talk to him. "The day after tomorrow is their 30th wedding anniversary. They went to Italy. My mother has always wanted to go there."

"What other family members could we talk to?" Gibbs asked.

"There's my aunt Nelly, in Kentucky, and my uncle Fred in Connecticut. I also have two sisters."

Kate had to hold back a yawn. She knew she should listen to what the man said, but she was really tired. Five hours of sleep last night hadn't been enough to make up for the sleep she had missed over the last days. She really needed some coffee.

Signaling Tony that she'd be back in five minutes she left Lt. Daroe's office and crossed the big room with the work stations of the computer techs. Many of the techs greeted her because they knew her from other visits. She had almost reached the door, when she heard someone behind her ask a question into the room: "Where the hell's O'Leary? He said he'd have the upgrade ready by now!"

She turned around and looked over to Petty Officer O'Leary's work station. It was empty. She went over and asked the man at the station next to it if he knew where the petty officer had gone to.

"He left five minutes ago", the young man said.

"Was he called into one of the offices?"

"No, I don't think so. He muttered something about an appointment."

Kate spotted Lt. Daroe across the room and went over to him.

"Lieutenant, do you know about an appointment that Petty Officer O'Leary had to attend to this morning?" she asked.

"An appointment …? No. He's on regular shift today, he should be here. Why?"

"Would you excuse me", Kate muttered, rushing out of the room. She sprinted through the corridors, taking what she hoped was the shortest way to the parking lot of the building.

When she left the building and ran out onto the parking lot, she saw a red pickup leave through the guarded gate in the fence that surrounded the lot. The driver threw a look over his shoulder back at the building and she thought she recognized Petty Officer O'Leary, but she wasn't sure if he had seen her.

Without thinking she stormed to the car, jumped onto the driver's seat, started the car and shot out of the parking lot, leaving in the direction the pick-up had taken. She saw it approximately two hundred yards ahead of her, where it just turned a corner. Accelerating fast, she followed.

---

Gibbs and Tony had finished talking to Petty Officer Oyster and to Seaman George Maccoullough without finding something.

"Where the hell is Kate?" Gibbs asked when the seaman had left.

"I don't know", Tony said, looking at his watch. 25 minutes ago Kate had told him that she'd be back in five. Where had she gone to?

"Maybe she's talking to some of the techs outside", Tony suggested. "I'll go and check."

Kate was not in the computer techs' office. But Tony saw Lt. Daroe and asked him if he knew where Kate was.

"She was here maybe twenty minutes ago", the lieutenant said. "She asked me if Petty Officer O'Leary had an appointment outside of the office today and I said I didn't know about it; then she left."

"Left? And what appointment? Where's O'Leary?"

"That's a good question", Daroe said. "I thought maybe you had sent him home."

"What? He's not here anymore?" Tony exclaimed.

"No. The last time anyone has seen him was when he came out of the interrogation with you."

"Damn it!" Tony swore. "Call security! Find out if Petty Officer O'Leary left the base."

While Lt. Daroe reached for the receiver, Tony took his cell phone and pressed speed dial 1. Kate's cell sent him directly to voicemail. Had she switched her cell off?

Oh no! Tony remembered that this morning in the car Kate had mentioned something about having to load the batteries of her cell at the office. But they had never entered the office today because Gibbs had taken them to the parking lot right away. "Damn it!" he shouted.

"Agent DiNozzo", Lt. Daroe said, hanging up the phone. "Petty Officer O'Leary left the base twenty minutes ago. I also asked about Agent Todd. She left the base right after the petty officer."

Tony rushed back into the office where Gibbs was still sitting at the lieutenant's desk, currently on the phone with someone. Tony immediately started to speak, but Gibbs waved him off with an annoyed gesture, which Tony ignored. When Gibbs ended the call, he glared at Tony.

"Didn't your mother teach you to be quiet while someone else is talking on the phone?"

"We have a problem, Gibbs", Tony said. "Petty Officer O'Leary is gone. He left the base 20 minutes ago. And I think Kate might have gone after him."

"What?" Gibbs yelled, jumping to his feet. He reached for his cell phone, but Tony intervened: "She has no battery", he said. "We can't reach her."

"Has that woman gone insane?" Gibbs shouted. "Pursuing a suspect without telling us and without a working cell phone?"

"Maybe she doesn't know her phone is off", Tony said. "But do we really need to worry? I mean, there could be a simple explanation why Petty Officer O'Leary left the base", he added, in a poor attempt to ease his worry.

"Sorry to disappoint you", Gibbs said. "But that was Agent Cole on the phone. She finally reached Mrs. O'Leary, the petty officer's mother."

"And what did she say?"

"She said her son left home the day he turned eighteen, that was ten years ago. He has been writing letters and calling ever since, but she has never seen him in person again."

"In ten years?" Tony exclaimed.

"You heard what the petty officer said. The woman has some serious problems."

"Do you think we can believe him?"

"I will tell you what I believe", Gibbs said. "Ten years ago the eighteen year old Simon O'Leary leaves home in an attempt to get away from his drunken mother, the constant reminder of his sad childhood. At some point during the next months he meets Joseph Donovan who was …" he thought for a moment, "sixteen years old at the time and had ran away too. Maybe they become friends. They might resemble each other a lot, physically as well as mentally, both had a difficult childhood, both are far from home. Somehow they change identities – at least we assume that Joseph took the identity of Simon – we don't know what became of the real Simon. He might be dead. With Simon's ID card and some information about his mother that he might have gotten from Simon, Joseph is able to do whatever he wants. He can act as an adult now. So he joins the Navy. It says in Petty Officer O'Leary's record that he joined at the age of eighteen, then went to university. In order not to arise any suspicion he starts writing to Mrs. O'Leary. As long as she thinks her son is safe, she won't call the police to look for him."

"I admit, that sounds good", Tony said. "But the whole theory is only based on the fact that Mrs. O'Leary hasn't seen her son in quite some time."

"For me it's the only possible explanation. How else could Joseph have stayed hidden for so long?"

"Assuming it's really Joseph we are looking for."

"Do you really doubt that?" Gibbs asked.

Tony sighed, shaking his head. "No, I believe it's him." Suddenly he buried his face in his hands and moaned. "Why did she do that? Why does she run after a suspect on her own?"

"I don't like to admit it – because it really is a stupid thing to do – but it might be our only chance to find Cynthia Daroe. Joseph Donovan must have been alarmed when we asked about Mrs. O'Leary today. He wants to go into hiding and he has already proved to us that he's very good at it. It's very likely that he's on his way to the place where he is hiding his victims. Kate might be able to follow him."

"But what use is it, if she can't tell us where she is?" Tony almost shouted.

Gibbs looked at him very sternly, almost angry, even. He came around the table to stand in front of Tony and looked him in the eyes.

"DiNozzo", he said, voice calm. "When I took Kate out of the team, I did it for a reason. It's situations like this one that I feared, a situation where one of you will be faced with the possibility that the other might get hurt on the job."

Tony wanted to say something, but Gibbs raised a hand to stop him and went on himself: "If you lose your head now, Tony, Kate might get seriously hurt. I need you here as an agent, one who can think and act without being influenced by his feelings. Can you do that, Tony? And do really think about it, because if you give the wrong answer now, it might cost an agent's life."

"I can do what needs to be done", Tony said, sounding dead serious. "Because Kate wouldn't expect less of me."

"Good. Then call Abby. Have her locate the GPS signal of our car."

---

Kate had been following the red pick-up for nearly forty-five minutes. At first it had been easy because they had been on busy streets and she had been able to hide behind other cars. But when they left Norfolk and there was less traffic on the streets, she had to keep a larger distance in order not to be seen. Three times she had almost lost the pick-up and each time it had been mere luck that she had found it again.

She wasn't sure if O'Leary had noticed her, but at least he wasn't doing any of the things that someone who knew he was being followed might do, like making quick turns, or going in circles. If he hadn't seen her in the parking lot it was very likely that he didn't expect a pursuer.

By now they were driving through a very rural area with a lot of water and nature surrounding them. Kate had no idea where they were going, but supposed they were somewhere in the area where the bodies of the dead women had been found. Was he really going to his hiding place? Would she be able to follow him there? God, if only her cell were working! It had been quite a shock to see that she was out of battery. But then she had remembered that the car had a GPS transmitter and Abby would be able to track her without problems. She trusted Tony and Gibbs enough to figure out what the fact that she and O'Leary were gone meant.

After five more minutes she saw that the pick-up turned onto a very small dirt road that led directly into a small wood nearby. Kate waited until the car had vanished behind the trees, then she followed.

For ten minutes she was driving through road holes the size of Lake Michigan and twigs scratched over the top of the car. She didn't see the red pick-up anywhere and hoped that there wouldn't be another crossing.

Then, suddenly, the red pick-up appeared right in front of her. Kate had just come out of a long turn and trees had blocked the view, so she only saw the car that was parked in the middle of the street when she was mere twenty yards away from it.

She stopped immediately and put one hand on her gun in the holster on her hip. Slowly, she opened the door and climbed out of the car, gun ready. She aimed at the pick-up while she approached it, making sure that the car was empty. Where had O'Leary gone? She tried to see something in the shadows under the trees that surrounded her, but could make out nothing. Was there a house or cabin nearby? She would have to search the area. Damn it, if she only had her cell phone!

Kate didn't hear the man approach her from behind, she only felt the butt of his rifle hit her over the back of the head and then there was nothing but darkness.

---

"Stop!" Tony shouted. They had been following a dirt road leading through a forest for some minutes, when suddenly a parked car appeared out of nowhere in front of them. It was their car!

Tony and Gibbs both jumped out of the car and tried to secure the area, but it was difficult when you couldn't see past the trees that surrounded you. Finally Gibbs went to the car while Tony covered him. He looked in through the windows, then went to the back and opened the trunk.

"Nothing", he shouted.

Even if it meant that they had lost track on her, Tony was relieved. O'Leary must have gotten her, but had he killed her, he would have left her here. With Kate gone there was a greater chance that she was still alive.

"What do we do now?" Tony asked, using every ounce of strength he had to suppress the panic that had been threatening to overpower him ever since he had noticed that Kate was no longer at the base.

Gibbs didn't answer and Tony didn't like it. Gibbs always knew what to do! How could he not know it now, when so much was at stake? But he didn't need Gibbs' ideas! After all he was a federal agent himself! Only yesterday had he promised that he would always protect Kate. He really needed to get his brains working now. There had to be a solution.

And suddenly it hit him.

"Joseph Donovan copies the crime of his father, right?" Tony asked. "And where did the father keep his victim?"

"In a cabin in the woods", Gibbs said, already reaching for his cell phone. "McGee? Get a look at the land register for the area where you located our car. We're looking for a cabin out here. What? Try the names Donovan and O'Leary, maybe even Carter, we can't exclude anything right now. … As quickly as possible, McGee, damn it!" he shouted before hanging up.

---

When Kate came to, the first thing she consciously registered was a terrible headache. It hurt so much that her eyes began to water and her stomach revolted.

She was gagged. She tasted the dirty fabric on her tongue and felt how it cut into the corners of her mouth. Her legs were bound at the ankles and her hands were cuffed on her back. But she wasn't blindfolded. When she opened her eyes she looked into a dimly lit room with a wooden floor that she was lying on. The only furniture was a small bed and a cupboard at one wall. There was a window, but it was blocked by something, Kate didn't know by what because the bed blocked her view and she couldn't move enough to look over it. When she tried she felt a wave of nausea hit her and she almost threw up.

_No!_ she thought. _Calm down, calm down_! _Concentrate! What happened?_ Fighting down the sick feeling she tried to collect her thoughts. The red pick-up, parked on the dirt road. Then a searing pain in her head. O'Leary must have sneaked up on her from behind to beat her unconscious. Now she was inside the cabin she had been looking for. _Cell phone!_ No, the batteries were down. _Oh my God!_ She had trusted the others to find her with the GPS transmitter in the car, but now the car was standing on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and she had no idea if she was even near it. How were they going to find her?

Where was O'Leary? Or should she call him Donovan? Was it really him, Joseph Donovan? She couldn't see him anywhere, and didn't dare moving too much because of the pain in her head. So she closed her eyes and listened. She could hear birds singing outside and a clock ticking in the next room. That was it. Where was he? Had he left her here like he had left the other women behind? Oh! Cynthia Daroe must be somewhere in this cabin! Or had he already killed her? He knew now that the NCIS knew he was the killer, he had to vanish again, but first he would have to take care of his last victim. Or was Kate his last victim? She closed her eyes again, this time fighting panic. Tony is on his way, she told herself against better judgment. She knew the chances he would find her here before Donovan came for her were minimal, but she didn't give up hope. Tony was going to come.

tbc ...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Tony was unable to stand still while he was waiting for McGee to call back. Half an hour had passed since Gibbs had called him to make him check the land register for names that might lead them to Joseph Donovan. Tony felt like they had spent a week on the dirt road in the forest. Within the first five minutes Gibbs had made one phone call to inform headquarters that they might be facing a hostage situation and needed armed support. His request was granted and a team of marines was now waiting for their orders.

Since then, Tony had walked around the cars approximately one hundred times to keep at least his legs busy while he was forced to do nothing but wait. It was driving him crazy!

When Gibbs' cell phone rang, Tony jumped to his side. Gibbs put it on speaker.

"Boss, I found something!" McGee said. "Approximately ten miles from your position there's a piece of land that is registered on the name Clara O'Leary, that's Simon O'Leary's mother. According to the description in the register there's a small cabin on it."

"Can you lead us there?" Gibbs asked, already climbing onto the driver's seat of the car they had borrowed at the base. He maneuvered around Kate's parked car and followed the dirt road to the other end of the small forest.

---

Ever since she had woken up Kate had been lying helplessly on the ground, willing her headache to diminish, but it wouldn't obey. By now she was pretty sure that she had a concussion. It hurt like hell and it made thinking very difficult. Once or twice she had had to fight back tears, when the hopelessness of her situation had threatened to overwhelm her.

When she heard the front door open, her heart almost stopped. She couldn't see who had entered from her position next to the bed, but she heard steps approach from the room next door. Then she heard them enter the bedroom. She closed her eyes and waited.

The steps came nearer until the person was standing right beside her. Kate heard someone bend down, then she felt a hand touch her neck, looking for a pulse. Quickly, the hand drew back again, but the person stayed crouched down next to her.

"Are you awake?" a male voice asked.

Kate opened her eyes. What use was there in pretending she was still unconscious? When she looked up, she recognized Petty Officer O'Leary, the man she now knew had once been called Joseph Donovan.

"Agent Todd, isn't it?" he asked.

Kate tried to nod, but stopped when another wave of pain filled her head.

"You shouldn't have followed me", he said sadly. "You shouldn't be here. This is none of your business, why did you have to intervene?" Only now he seemed to realize that Kate couldn't answer him. So he bent over her and carefully took off the gag.

Kate took a deep breath and licked her dry lips, but she didn't speak.

"Tell me!" he demanded. "Tell me why you want to stop me!"

"I can't let you kill more women", Kate said hoarsely.

"I don't kill!" he exclaimed. "I liberate them from their sins, like God wants me to. He chose me to do it. You have no right to interfere."

Kate felt it was better not to say anything now.

"If you stand between me and my destiny, you are an enemy", Joseph went on, standing up and pacing the room. "My father knew who I was. He saw it in me. And when he needed my help, I was willing to give it."

_What's he talking about?_ Kate wondered. Help with what? And then it suddenly hit her. "You killed your mother", she gasped. "Your father told you what to do and you did it."

"He was my prophet!" Joseph said, returning to her side. "He knew what to do."

"Where's Cynthia Daroe?" Kate asked.

"That is not for you to know."

"Is she dead?"

"She will never die. She regrets her sins, she asked for forgiveness and it shall be granted."

What did that mean? Was Lt. Daroe dead?

"Are you a Christian?" Joseph asked.

"Yes", Kate said weakly.

"When did you go to confession the last time?" he asked. "Do you want to confess now?"

"I have nothing to confess."

"Everybody has something to confess", Joseph said in an almost friendly way. "God sent me to take the people's sins away. I can do it for you, too."

"If that means ending with a bullet through my head, I think I have to say no. Thanks, though."

Now she had made him angry. She saw how his expression hardened, but he didn't say anything. After looking at her for some seconds he got up and left the room again. Seconds later Kate heard the door close behind him.

---

Gibbs stopped the car about half a mile from the cabin. The marines pulled up behind them and they all got out of the cars.

"We'll approach the cabin in a widespread line", Gibbs said. "Surround the cabin, but do not go in without my direct order. Understood?"

The marines nodded, then swarmed out.

Five minutes later Tony could see the cabin between the trees in front of him. It was standing on a clearing and Tony had reached the trees behind the small house. There was one window that he could see, but it was barricaded with wooden boards.

He could see Gibbs crouching down on the ground twenty yards to his right. From his position he should be able to see the side and front of the cabin. The marines were nowhere to be seen – they knew how to make themselves invisible. But where was Joseph Donovan? Where was Kate? And Cynthia Daroe?

"Can you see him?" Gibbs signaled with one hand.

Tony shook his head. Gibbs pointed at the window that was barricaded. There were small slits between the boards. "Go. Look", Gibbs signaled.

Tony nodded and slowly crawled the ten yards to the cabin. When he reached the wooden wall he stopped and listened for a moment. He thought he heard movement on the inside, but it wasn't near the wall. Maybe in another room?

Carefully he came out of his crouching position until he could look through the lowest of the slits. He saw a small, dimly lit room with a simple camp bed in it. On the opposite wall there was an open door through which he could see another room with a table and chairs. There, a shadow was moving, cast on the wall by another window that must be on the opposite side of the cabin.

"I see him", Tony signaled.

"Gun?"

"Can't see."

"Stay there", Gibbs signaled, then he vanished behind a tree.

Tony slowly crawled to the edge of the cabin to be able to see the small clearing in front of it. One minute after Gibbs had vanished, Tony saw him appear between the trees in front of the cabin, maybe thirty yards away from the front porch.

"Hello?" Gibbs shouted, then took cover behind one of the trees.

Tony immediately heard steps on the inside. They entered the bedroom and came to the window, then they stopped when Donovan looked out to see if someone was hiding in the trees behind the cabin. He couldn't see Tony, who was at a dead angle to him. Then the steps walked into the living room again and Tony heard a voice shout: "Who are you?"

"My name is Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. We met this morning."

"This is my land", Donovan shouted. "You have no right to be here. What do you want?"

"I want you to step out of that cabin, unarmed."

"I cannot do that, Agent Gibbs. So I'd suggest you leave."

"And I'm afraid I can't do that", Gibbs replied. "So what do we do?"

"Agent Gibbs, you know that I have two women in here with me. If you don't leave, I will have to hurt them. I don't want to do it, I really don't, but if you leave me no choice, I will."

"How do I know the women are still alive?"

"You will have to trust me."

Tony decided to change position. He crawled back under the window, then continued to the other side of the cabin. The other window must be here somewhere.

"Let me talk to them", Gibbs said when Tony reached the edge of the cabin and looked around it. He couldn't see Gibbs from this angle, but he saw the window in the wall. It was three feet above the ground and it was not barricaded. No, not only not barricaded, it was open! There was a slit between the two wings, too wide to be due to age or bad construction. The window wasn't closed and it opened to the inside. A small nudge and it would swing open.

"Petty Officer, did you hear me?" Gibbs asked. "I want to talk to them."

"If I let you know that they are alive, will you leave then?"

"If you let me know that they are alive, we will be able to find a solution to this problem."

Tony took a deep breath; then he started to crawl to the front of the cabin. He only wanted to look around the edge. He needed to know where the door was.

When he reached the edge he could see Gibbs looking out behind his tree. He saw Tony, but made no signal in order not to draw Donovan's attention to him. Tony gave him the thumbs up as a sign that he wanted Gibbs to continue what he was doing.

The position of the door was good. It was in the front wall, far away from the window in the side wall so that Donovan was very unlikely to pay attention to the window.

Tony heard him move on the inside. He obviously went back into the bedroom, there he said something that Tony didn't understand, then he came back, but this time the steps came from two persons. Was that Kate? Tony had to fight down the urge to look through the window. He wanted to see her to make sure she was alright. But he couldn't risk being seen now.

"Say something", Donovan said to Kate, not loud enough for Gibbs to hear it, but Tony was within earshot.

Kate didn't react.

"Say something", Donovan repeated.

"No", Kate said.

"Agent Gibbs, I have your agent here", Donovan shouted.

"Proof it!" Gibbs shouted back.

"I will show you that she's here", Donovan shouted. "Then I want you to draw back. I have a gun pointed at her head. If you're not gone within 30 seconds, I will shoot her. I will do it and I still have another hostage."

Tony stiffened and made his gun ready. He knew now came his only chance. There was no window at the front side of the cabin. If Donovan wanted Gibbs to see Kate, he would have to open the door.

Tony put his finger on the trigger. Then he heard the door open. He stood up to look through the window, convinced that Donovan's attention was now elsewhere. There, he could see them! Donovan was standing next to the door, showing Tony his profile. Kate was standing next to him, closer to the door, her hands tied on her back. He held one of her arms, while his other hand pointed a gun to her temple. When Tony saw the gun, every other thought was wiped from his mind. There was no room for worry or even fear now. He needed to act, and he only had this one chance. If he failed, Kate would die.

But he couldn't shoot from his position. Kate was standing between him and Donovan and the risk of hitting her was too big. He had to wait.

"Now you've seen her!" Donovan shouted. "Draw back. And take the men hiding behind the trees with you."

"Okay!" Gibbs said. "We're drawing back now."

Tony could see that Donovan looked over Kate's head to see if Gibbs really did what he said. Tony used this moment to push against the window with his elbow. It swung open and he pointed his gun at Donovan, waiting for his moment to come. Then there it was: Donovan took one step backwards, away from the door, pulling Kate with him and in front of him, instinctively using her to shield him from the outside. Kate struggled against the hold he had on her arm and by doing so she turned her head – and saw Tony. Her eyes widened.

"Get down!" he formed with his lips, without making the tiniest sound. Kate reacted by simply letting herself fall, as if her knees had given in. Donovan, who hadn't expected this sudden movement, let go of her arm and suddenly Tony had a clear shot. He didn't hesitate to take it.

Before he had really registered the loud bang from his gun, Tony saw Donovan stumble backwards, a red whole in his chest, but still holding his gun. Tony pulled the trigger again and then a third time, like they had taught him on the academy. Donovan dropped his gun and then he fell.

Later Tony didn't remember how he had gotten inside the cabin, whether he had entered through the door or jumped through the window, all he knew was that he quickly checked if Donovan was really dead and when he didn't find a pulse he knelt down next to Kate, helping her up into a sitting position. By the time he had found something to cut through the rope tying her hands, a hunting knife that had been lying on the table, Gibbs and the marines had reached the cabin and stormed in, guns drawn.

Tony didn't pay attention to them. He concentrated on cutting through the rope without hurting Kate. As soon as her hands were free she spun around and fled into Tony's waiting arms. He held her so tightly he knew it must hurt her, but she only tried to get even closer, and Tony was glad they were sitting on the ground because he was sure that his legs wouldn't carry his weight right now.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm okay", she whispered, and he could feel the breath of her words on his neck. The simple fact that she was breathing seemed like a miracle to him now. Then she drew back a little and looked up at him, smiling shakily. "I knew you'd come", she said. "I knew it."

Tony didn't answer, instead he bent down and kissed her, trying to release some of the tension he was still feeling. But he soon broke the kiss and helped her up from the ground. Then he put both hands on Kate's shoulders, and held her at an arm's length from him. "And now you are going to explain to me what the hell you were thinking when you decided to follow a suspect all on your own", he demanded, and this time she knew he wasn't making a joke.

"I guess I was thinking that this could be our only chance to find his hideout", she said defensively, trying to get out of his grip.

But Tony didn't let go so easily. "Well, that was a stupid thing to think", he said. "We found it within half an hour after we knew that O'Leary was Donovan."

"I couldn't know that before, could I?" Kate asked. "Tony, let go. You're hurting me."

Tony really let go of her shoulders, but instead he took her face in both hands and looked intently at her. "Kate, you scared the hell out of me today", he said, finally making room for the fear he had been holding back over the last hours. Now it made his voice tremble and his knees feel like jelly.

"I'm sorry, Tony", she said sincerely, covering his hands with hers.

Tony sighed deeply, feeling a lot of the tension and edginess that had settled in his body disappear. "It's okay", he whispered, pulling her close to him. "I'm so glad I've got you back."

This time his kiss was gentle and loving. His arms tightened around the small of her back and he lifted her off the ground, making her smile into the kiss.

One minute later they noticed the change in the sounds surrounding them. People were shouting outside and footsteps were hurriedly leaving the cabin.

"What happened?" Tony asked and left the cabin together with Kate.

One of the marines had found a trap-door on the ground in front of the cabin. When he had knocked on it, a female voice had answered from the inside. Using a key they had found on the dead body of Joseph Donovan they opened the lock on the door. They found a cave-like cellar under it and using a short ladder from behind the cabin they helped a crying, weakened woman out of it.

"Oh my god, she's alive", Kate sighed, leaning heavily onto Tony's arm. Now that the danger was over and the adrenaline was leaving her body, she felt the pain in her head come back full blast and dizziness made standing on her own feet difficult.

"Kate?" Tony asked, alarmed. "Sweetheart, what is it?"

"Nothing", she said quickly. "I took a blow to the head earlier, that's all."

"We have to get you to a doctor", he said, lifting her up in his arms.

Kate put her arms around his neck and nodded. "I think I could use one", she said.

---

The doctors diagnosed a mild concussion and ordered rest. Kate was gladly taking their advice. She felt completely exhausted.

Before leaving the hospital they met Gibbs, who had been with Lt. Cynthia Daroe.

"What did the doctors say?" Kate wanted to know.

"She's going to be okay. They will keep her here overnight, but since she's not injured and only needs food and water, they are optimistic that she can be sent home tomorrow. What about you?"

"Mild concussion", she said, gingerly touching her head.

"Tony, you take her home", Gibbs ordered. "And stay with her. I don't want to see you at the office before Monday. You can write your report then."

"Thanks, Boss", Tony said. Placing a hand at the small of her back he led Kate out of the hospital.

At home he brought her to bed even though it was still in the afternoon.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kate asked, when he turned to leave the bedroom.

"I was gonna make something to eat. You must be hungry."

"Can you come her for a moment first?" she asked sweetly.

Smiling, Tony went to the bed and sat down on its edge, but when Kate reached her hands out to him, he quickly took off his shoes and climbed into bed next to her. Kate immediately snuggled up to him and Tony protectively wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing her forehead. Food forgotten they both stayed in bed for the rest of the day, enjoying each other's company and the thought of a Sunday all to themselves. They had earned it.

* * *

_A/N: So, here we go. I'm almost finished. But there's still an epilogue to come. In the meantime, please review!!!_


	20. Epilogue

**Chapter 20**

When Tony and Kate came to work on Monday, they found Gibbs' desk empty.

"Where's the boss?" Tony asked. "Isn't he here yet?"

"Of course he is", McGee answered. "He went up to see the director."

Tony nodded and wanted to sit down on his chair, when he noticed that Kate was standing in front of her desk, staring at it. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, when he realized that it wasn't really her working place she was staring at, but Susannah's. The other desk that Gibbs had made them carry over here for Kate was gone now.

"That son of a bitch", Tony said. "He didn't lose any time, did he?"

"But he told us before that I would have to go back", Kate said, trying to sound casual. "That's okay."

"No, it's not", Tony stressed. "You solved that case for us. It's not fair that Gibbs is sending you away again."

Kate wanted to answer, but at that moment she saw Gibbs come over from the stairs.

"Kate, what the hell are you doing here?" he barked. "You should be at home in bed. DiNozzo, why did you let her come in?"

"As if she'd listen to me!" Tony replied.

Gibbs smirked, then went to sit down at his desk. "I wanted to wait with this until Kate has completely recovered", he said. "But now that you are here, I can as well talk to you right away."

Tony glared at him. "We already noticed the new arrangements you made."

"Did you?" Gibbs asked amusedly. "Then I'm sure you already know what I want to talk to you about."

"It's okay", Kate said. "You made clear before that my return to the team could only be temporary. I'm not expecting anything from you now."

"Well, if that's your opinion I'm sorry to hear it", Gibbs said, shrugging. "I was hoping that you would accept my offer to come back into my team, but if you're feeling comfortable with the way things are, I don't see why …"

"Wait! What?" Kate interrupted him. "You're taking me back?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Why?" Kate asked incredulously. "I mean, yeah, I want to, but … why did you change your mind?"

"Because you proved to me yesterday that you and Tony can keep a clear mind, even when you're in the field together. What happened yesterday was a much greater test than I wanted, of course, but you used it well. You acted like professionals and that's what I wanted you to do. I didn't like taking you out of the team, Kate, but I needed to make sure that the two of you working together wouldn't develop into a catastrophe. I was sure that putting you under the right amount of stress would be enough to find out if your … relationship can face reality."

"Does this mean this whole thing … putting Kate on another team, having us work overtime … was a test?" Tony exclaimed. "Do you have any idea what we've been through because of it?"

Gibbs smiled at him, not reacting to Tony's harsh tone. "Are you saying it hasn't been worth it?" he asked nonchalantly.

Tony had already opened his mouth for an angry reply, when his eyes fell on Kate. She was smiling. Tony thought of the last month's events and finally had to admit that Gibbs was somehow right. Would they really have worked out how important they were to one another if they hadn't gone through all those problems?

"Okay", Tony muttered. "You have a point there."

Kate smiled brightly at him before turning to Gibbs again. "So, is this my desk again?" she asked, indicating the place where Susannah had been working during the past month.

Gibbs nodded. "All yours."

"But what about Susannah?" Kate asked.

"She's back on Agent Santo's team now", Gibbs replied. "Everything's back to normal."

In the first coffee break Kate and Tony took during the morning they went over to where Susannah was working and found her typing something on her computer.

"Hey!" she greeted them. "How are you feeling, Kate?"

"A little headache, that's all", Kate said. "Are you busy?"

"I'm writing my report for Gibbs. I'll be finished soon."

Kate smiled at her, then took a deep breath and said: "Susannah, I hope that you are not angry because of the changes you had to go through during the last weeks. I know it's not easy to be taken out of a team that you are familiar with."

"That's no problem", Susannah assured her. "Working on Gibbs' team was a nice change, but I also feel comfortable back with my old colleagues. This is where I belong. And you belong with Gibbs' team."

"Yes she does", Tony said, putting an arm around Kate's waist.

"Anyways", Susannah said, getting up and shaking hands with Tony and Kate. "It was a pleasure working with you."

"Same here", Kate said. "But there's something I wanted to ask you. Would you like to come to my place for dinner on Saturday? I'll invite McGee and Gibbs, too, and Tony will be there anyway."

"It's good to hear that you value my presence so much", Tony pouted.

Susannah laughed and nodded. "I would really like that", she said.

"I really like her", Kate said when they had entered the break room.

"No trace of the old jealousy left?" Tony asked, grinning.

"Aw, come on, that was … I didn't know her then and she …" Kate broke off, biting her tongue.

"I love it when you blush", Tony whispered into her ear; then he kissed her cheek before turning around to fill their cups with coffee. Leaning on the counter he handed her one and watched her take her first careful sip.

"I'm going to call Elizabeth Carter later", Kate said. "I want to tell her that we finally found out the truth about her brother."

"Are you going to tell her that it was him who shot their mother?"

She shook her head. "I don't want her to know that. And I'm not even sure if it's true. It's possible that Joseph Donovan didn't remember the events from his childhood correctly. I guess we'll never find out. But I want his sister to know what happened to him – and that he's dead."

"There's another thing", Tony said, reaching for her hand. "Tomorrow is Laura Adams' funeral."

"Oh!" Kate stepped closer to him and touched his arm. "Do you want to go there?"

He nodded, then looked at her hopefully. "But I was hoping you'd be coming with me", he said.

"Of course", she answered. "You don't have to go there alone."

Tony smiled at her, obviously relieved. After some seconds he sighed. "It seems like everything is finally back to normal again. Our killer got his punishment, you are back on the team …"

"Yes", Kate agreed. "But there are also things that have changed." The look she gave him made clear that she was talking about their relationship.

Tony grinned. "Things have to change sometimes. Otherwise life would be deadly boring." He set his cup on the counter and used both hands to stroke the hair back from Kate's face. "And so much less enjoyable", he whispered, one moment before their lips touched.

END.

* * *

_So, this is it. Finally. This has become much longer than I intended in the beginning, but I enjoyed writing it a lot._

_I want to thank all those who reviewed and who have been following this story from the beginning. You were really good to me and I was happy about every single comment you made._

_I also want to thank those who have been reading the story but didn't review. I'm glad if this story has found an audience._


End file.
